


The Souls Ache

by orphan_account



Series: A Comprehensive Guide to Life, Death, and Love [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, DFAB reader, Discrimination, Family, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gangs, Gaster Sans, Gender Neutral Pronouns, Gender-Neutral Frisk, Murder, Other, Past Character Death, Reader Insert, Soul Magic, Soul stuff, Violence, censored language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-05-18 11:23:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 33,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5926699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You lived your life by three principles. (1) Never judge a book by its cover, (2) persevere despite the circumstances, and (3) always strive to be kind.</p><p>Who knew that last one could get you in so much trouble?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Memories and Misfortune

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get helped by a kind and snarky stranger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)

"Dinner was wonderful Tori," you said to the older woman, beaming up at her. As you did so you handed her another scrubbed dish to put into the dishwasher. Said goat monster returned the grin, the baggy sleeves of her Fall dress swaying as she put the dish away. You, it turned out, were the first one to explain seasonal fashion to her. It was then that you learned that monsters didn't have any seasons Underground, which made sense after you thought about it. Monsters, at least the ones you knew, were still having a hard time adjusting to the constantly changing surface.

"Thank you dear. And thank you for bringing the drinks. I simply didn't have the time to prepare anything," she admitted as the two of you continued the motions of cleaning up dinner. Over the running sink, you could hear the others playing games in the other room. Knowing them, it could be anything. Toriel had been a board game collector since she learned about them. While they did have board games in the Underground, they didn't have the sheer amount that the surface world did. Humans did have the tendency to make the a lot of the same thing.

You laughed. "Ah come on Tor, I saw you cringe when you saw the soda."

Toriel grinned guiltily. "I have tried to get Frisk to eat less sugar lately. It's been so long since I've had to worry about ingredients."

Quirking your head, you grabbed the dish soap from under the sink to hand to her. "What do you-"

"ARE YOU TWO ALMOST FINISHED?" Papyrus shouted from the other room, startling you. Toriel caught the soap you dropped before it hit the ground, making you both sigh in relief. Neither of you wanted to clean up that mess.

After starting the dishwasher, both of you left the pristine kitchen to join the others in the family room. The family room was large, and almost completely covered in framed photos. Your friends were all seated on the large lavender couch, hunched over the coffee table. As you approached the table, Toriel lit the fireplace with fire magic, something you learned personally was safe to the touch.

"Go Fish huh?" you hummed, sitting between Alphys and Frisk.

"While the game appears to be easy from the outside, it is actually a ferocious battle of the mind!" Papyrus announced as he snatched three queens from Undyne's outstretched hand. After losing the cards the hand turned into a fist and quickly returned to its owner's side.

"Ug I hate mind games!" Undyne groaned. Her blood-red hair was up in a messy bun, which you found adorable. You wouldn't dare admit that though.

Sans chuckled from the arm-chair across the room. "Frisk, do ya have any kings?"

The normally silent child groaned, handing over two of said cards. After pouting for a moment they turned to you and signed. 'We're playing four of a kind. We can start over if you want to join in now.'

You waved them off. "Naw I'm fine. I'll join in next round."

Frisk just shrugged and took a large gulp of their cup of soda. Toriel visibly grimaced at the sight.  

"I'm going to check on the pie," she said, turning around quickly to rush to the kitchen. A chorus of okays came from your small group as everyone stayed focused on the cards.

The smell of apple pie filled the room, and the crackling fire warmed you as you relaxed into the couch. Despite the mumbling of the frustrated players around you, you felt a strong sense of contentment as you simply watched. The soft sound of humming came from the kitchen, causing a small smile to grow on your face. Throwing an arm onto the back of the couch, you looked over Frisk's shoulder and deftly pointed to two cards they forgot to put together.

Frisk instinctively leaned into your side, resting their head on your shoulder. While this was a very sweet gesture from the child that warmed your heart, you felt an old pain surge up within you. An old, emotional pain.

Your heartache was interrupted by Toriel.

"Pie's done! Who wants a slice!?" she shouted from the kitchen. Papyrus and Undyne immediately jumped out of their seats to bum rush the kitchen, Alphys and Sans following behind them.

It was then that you  noticed you had teared up a bit, and you quickly wiped your eyes. Frisk caught your motion and looked up at you in concern.

You just grinned. "Come on short stack, let's get some pie before Undyne eats it all."

* * *

 

After Frisk went to bed (early because of school), the rest of you headed home. The skeletal brothers lived in your direction, but by the time you all got to their house Papyrus was half asleep and Sans was just a bit grouchy, so you decided to walk the rest of the way. Papyrus tried to argue against you but most of his speech was random muttering. To help settle his soul you reassured him you would text him once you got home, and that seemed to be enough because immediately after that he passed out on the couch.

You started your semi long walk home after saying bye to Sans, who honestly looked like he was going to pass out at any moment. At first it was almost peaceful watching the cars pass as people drove home. There was quite a bit of traffic, as there always was around this time, so you were almost glad you were stuck on your feet.

About halfway though your walk though you got a sinking feeling in your stomach that you were being followed. By then the sun had set entirely and the streetlights had already flickered on. The occasional person passed you, but they kept their heads down and eyes focused ahead. You knew that soon the night folk were going to be out and about soon, but that thought did nothing to reassure you as you tried to avoid eye contact.

Sticking your hands in your pockets you tried to make yourself look smaller, less of a threat, but that did not lessen the feeling of someones gaze on your back. Your heart pounded in your chest as you tried to find a restaurant or shop that was open so late, but you weren't in the club area of town so you doubted you would find any. Hands shaking, you began to get even more frantic in your search as the sound of multiple footsteps trailed behind you.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, you spotted an orange glow up ahead and rushed to it. You entered the establishment quickly, disregarding what it may have been. Placing a shaking hand over your pounding heart you looked around and almost laughed in disbelief at what you saw. Grillbys. You found Grillbys.

Straightening your back and focusing your gaze ahead, you attempted to walk confidently to the bar but you knew you fell a bit short. You took a deep breath before sitting in a seat at the far right of the bar, in a place near the wall and out of the way. Really you didn't want anything besides a bit of time to calm down, but Grillby approached your regardless.

"Any way I could get away without ordering anything?" you asked, pleasantly surprised with how little your voice shook. The flame man stared quietly at you, but you got the point. "Uh how about a soda then? I don't really care which one."

Grillby nodded and poured said drink for you. You took a long drink and held yourself back from flinching at the small burning sensation from the fizz. The cool drink felt good on your parched throat. Glancing around you tried to recognize someone but you only came up with blanks. You had only been in Grillbys once, and that had been for the grand surface reopening. Some of the diners sent you puzzled glances, which you partially understood as you were one of the few humans in the bar. Plus you had made quite the enterance.

Your thoughts were interrupted by the doors of the bar opening once again, this time by a monster. He (at least you thought they were a he) was a skeleton, which surprised you because you thought you already knew all the skeletons in the city. He was tall, a little above the height of the average human male, and was certainly dressed for a night out. Besides his obvious bar clothes, his skull was cracked under one eye and above the other,. He also had some strange holes in his hands, which just wrapped together his appearance as strange and intimidating.

As you stared at him, you made eye contact with his bright white pupil. You wondered briefly if he was blind in the lidded eye socket, but those thoughts ceased when a shiver shook your frame. You got that itch at the back of your neck that you got when someone was staring at you secretly, which was unusual because the both of you were engaged in a staring match and none of the other monsters were focused on you.

Regardless, you were caught, and a red-hot blush flared on your cheeks. You spun around in your seat and took a long drink of your soda. The drink calmed your blush, but did nothing for your embarrassment. Usually you would go and introduce yourself after such a long staring session but you felt more vulnerable than usual, so you decided to just avoid eye contact.. The avoidance technique seemed to not be in your favor today, because he decided to place himself right next to you. Great.

You cleared your throat quietly and took another sip of your drink. Feeling your jacket pocket, you cursed yourself for forgetting your phone. Earlier you were running late to Toriel's, and couldn't even drive to her home because your car battery was dead. Because of that you were in such a rush you only managed to remember to grab your wallet and your keys.

As you muttered under your breath how irritated you were at yourself for forgetting, the skeleton beside you chuckled, his deep voice reverberating inside him. “Forget somethin'?”

Your cooling cheeks flared once again for being called out for your mistake. Chuckling awkwardly, you gave him a shy side glance. "Yeah I really have to stop being so forgetful."

"Forgetting things can be on occasion," the skeletal man noted, ordering a magical beer from Grillby. You weren't as versed in the magical variety of drinking, but you knew they had even weirder effects than normal alcohol. "I'm Sans, but my friends call me G."

Resisting the urge to comment on the fact that you already knew a skeleton named Sans (was that racist?) you smiled wider. "____."

G hummed. "So you come out here with anyone?"

"No, this was an unexpected stop actually," you laughed bitterly, staring down at your cup.

"You don't come here often then," G guessed, taking a swig of his own drink. A long stream of blue mist leaked out of his eye sockets and his mouth when he exhaled, surrounding his skull in a strange magic show of sorts. You sat stock still in amazement, which he noticed. "Not used to monster drinks?"

"Not much of a drinker anymore," you shrugged, turning your attention back to your drink. "How about you? Do you come here often?"

G shrugged. "When I can. The only reason I asked you was because I'm pretty sure I would remember a face like yours."

You froze and suspiciously glanced at him. "Was that a compliment or an insult?"

"Take it as you will," he replied, grinning smugly at you from behind his drink. You choked on a laugh and had to resist the urge to hit him. That would probably hurt you more than him anyways.

Covering your face to prevent anymore chuckles from escaping your mouth, you strained your voice to speak. "Are you this nice to every person you meet in a bar?"

"Only those who give me the time of day," he winked, taking another long drink before his gaze raked up your form. "Speaking of time of day, aren't you a little over dressed?"

You smirked. "Well that's a matter of opinion."

"You got me there," G chuckled.

"Ha, but yeah I guess I am. Like I said before though, wasn't really planning on going to a bar," you said, a frown tugging at your lips.

"I can tell," G laughed, causing his frame to shake. You thought you could hear the faint sound of rattling bones, but you decided not to question it. Skeletons were the weirdest of monsters you had learned. Besides MTT of course. The giant calculator would eternally be the strangest phenomenon.

"So..." you trailed off, pushing your now empty cup away, the owed money beside it.

"So..." G imitated you.

"You're hilarious," you said dryly. Straightening yourself up, you turned to your new friend. If you could call him that. "I probably should be going though. Hopefully the way is safe now."

"What do you mean safe now? You okay?" G questioned, downing the rest of his drink and standing with you.

Waving off his concern, you grinned. "Eh  I'll be fine. Just dark out you know?"

"Is it? I heard that's what happens when the sun sets but..." G trailed off. When you didn't respond, he nudged you with his elbow. This forced a laugh out of you.

"I'm assuming they had sarcasm in the Underground because your mastery of it shows years of hard work," you replied as you started to walk to the door.

"I am but a simple student of the art," he smirked as he followed you all the way out the door and into the cold night air. The bright orange light from Grillbys's windows illuminated the sidewalk, as the neon sign above you announced the name proudly. The dark street had a few vehicles parked down it, presumably belonging to the patrons of the humble bar and grille. "You drive?"

"Unfortunately my car battery died, so no," you sighed, zipping up your jacket. "You?"

"Naw I have my own ways of getting around. You need someone to walk you home?" he questioned, surprisingly thoughtful. Despite him already trailing slightly behind you as you walked down the street, you shrugged.

"I think I can make it on my-" just as you were about to finish your sentence, a loud noise from a nearby alleyway startled you, sending you a few feet into the air.

"On your own, huh?" G finished sarcastically. "I'm heading this way anyway."

You paused for a moment and thought. G did seem rather nice, and statistically monsters were not at all likely to commit violent crimes... "I guess if you're heading this way...but if you have to turn at any of the side streets it's fine, okay?"

"Sure," G said as he zipped up his own jacket. You two fell into step beside each other, neither of you willing to start up another conversation. The occasional car would pass, blinding you momentarily before continuing on its way. The city, while fresher at night, still smelled of smog, and as you looked up you weren't surprised not to see the stars.

"It's a shame you can't see the stars in the city," you mumbled, directing your gaze back at the concrete.

"You can see them a lot better in the neighborhoods on the outskirts," G reminded you. He stuck his skeletal hands in his jacket pockets, and you did the same to save body heat.

"Light pollution sure is strong," you sighed, glancing at him from the corner of your eye. He looked much more tired than he did in the bar, his one eye light focused ahead. "You get much of a chance to see them before moving to the city?"

G shifted his stance so that he was looking up rather than forward. "I'm not a big fan of small towns, so when the city opened for monsters I moved directly here. I do go and see them every once in awhile though."

You hummed, a small smile on your face. Before you could respond though, the sound of footsteps made your words get caught in your throat. Your body stiffened as they approached, and you were half tempted to turn around to see who exactly it was. G put his long skeletal arm around your shoulders before you could make any rash decisions though, and pulled you along. While you barely knew the guy, the gesture was appreciated as your subtle shaking stopped. You snuck a small glance upwards at him but his gaze was straight ahead, and his posture was as casual as ever.

The two of you walked like this for a long minute until the footsteps disappeared, leaving the two of you alone on the sidewalk. G didn't remove his arm until long after the steps ceased though, which was a kind reassurance to you.

Soon the downtown area of the city passed and you lead G to your small neighborhood in the heart of it. Tall, skinny apartments stood side by side down the small cul-de-sac, and you walked about halfway down the street before you got to your small home.

"34A," you said to yourself, stopping just in front of the steps leading to your door. "Thanks for the help. I hope you didn't go out of the way?"

"I'm fine," G waved you off.

For a long moment the two of you stared at each other in silence, until you coughed to break the awkwardness. "Uh seriously though thank you. Maybe I could buy you a coffee sometime to pay you back?"

"I'm not one to turn down a free drink," G smirked, sticking a hand in his pocket and producing his phone. "Just add yourself as a contact and I'll text you when I can."

You took the phone slowly, and sent him a suspicious glance before typing in your information. "You don't seem like the type of guy to have a busy schedule."

G laughed. "You'd be surprised. See you later."

"Night," you chuckled as you turned and entered your home. Casting one last glance behind you, you shut and locked the sturdy door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Constructive criticism appreciated, comments encouraged.  
> Send your questions, comments, concerns and gifts to mah tumblr bruh. I've also got a tip jar if you wanna, ya'know, help a broke writer out.
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)


	2. Conversations and Caffeine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You have some conversations and...caffeine. What more is there to say?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)

"Good morning!" sang your alarm clock, obnoxiously pleasant and loud. It did the trick though as it woke your tired mind right up. In your attempt to shut it up you fell off your bed, landing in a heap of blankets and pillows on the floor. With a tired grunt you struggled to untangle yourself from the pile. Eventually you rose though, a blanket wrapped around your shoulders. After rubbing the sleep from your eyes and patting down your hair, you picked up your fallen comforts and threw them back on the bed, not bothering to make it. You weren't having anyone over so what was the point.

You shivered as you put the blanket back, and stretched out your limbs. Getting a few satisfying cracks from your spine and shoulders, you sighed contently and grabbed your phone from its resting place. After scrolling through a few random notifications from apps you didn't bother with anymore, you noticed you got a text from Papyrus. Shoot you forgot to text him last night.

 

**The GREAT Papyrus**

_ >Human friend! Good morning! _

_ >You never texted me, are you okay? _

 

A soft smile graced your lips as you read his texts. Papyrus was such a sweetheart. You pressed the call button and put it on speaker as you made your way to the bathroom.

"Hello? Human?" Papyrus spoke from the small device. Despite the excellent cell service in the city, his call was still slightly garbled from the speaker phone.

"Yeah I'm here," you reassured the poor guy as you washed your face. "Thanks for the text last night. I got home safe."

"I'm glad you did. It would have been my fault if you didn't," Papyrus sighed. You could practically hear the remorse in his voice.

After drying your face, you turned on the shower to let the water warm up. "It would have been my fault for walking so late at night. I ran into someone nice about halfway through though that walked me the rest of the way."

"Oh really. Who was this kind stranger?" Papyrus asked, seemingly intrigued.

While you answered you began undressing. "He said his name was G. Funny huh?" you checked the temperature. "Oh do you think I could call you back, I've got a shower running."

"Of course friend! Have a nice day!" he shouted. You laughed and extended the wish to him as well before hanging up and stepping into the stream of water.

For a moment you just stood under the heat and allowed your muscles to relax. Reaching a hand down, you softly traced the slightly raised skin of the scar on your lower stomach. You closed your eyes and winced at the emotional pain that assaulted you as you did so. A constant reminder.

A soft sigh left you as you moved your thoughts and hand away from there and grabbed the shampoo. So what did you have to do today. Work was first of course, and that took up a good chunk of your day. Mondays were usually slow though, so you didn't have to expect a large crowd. Maybe you could leave early to get some grocery shopping done. Your kitchen was pretty empty.

The next game night was supposed to be at your house, so you should restock. Undyne and Papyrus tended to eat an insane amount of food...

What would you even make though? You were horrible at cooking, but you felt bad for either leaning on Tori for support or ordering pizza. Maybe you could experiment a bit and find a dish you could actually cook well. For now though pizza would have to do.

Finishing up your shower with one last rinse off, you turned off the water and wrapped a towel around yourself. Quickly shuffling to your bedroom, you dried yourself off and changed into a pair of worn jeans and a cozy sweater. A noise came from your phone as you were slipping on your socks. Once your socks were covering your warming feet, you picked up your phone and selected the new notification.

 

**(xxx) xxx-xxxx**

_ >Yo _

 

**(______)**

_ >Um, may I ask who this is? I don't have your number as a contact. _

 

**(xxx) xxx-xxxx**

_ >Well you did only give me your number kid, I didn't give you mine. _

 

Taking a wild guess, you replied.

 

**(_____)**

_ >G…? _

 

**(xxx) xxx-xxxx**

_ >You got it. _

 

Sighing in relief that you didn't just make a fool of yourself, you added him to your contacts before replying.

 

**(_____)**

_ >Oh okay. Whats up? _

 

**G**

_ >The sky. _

 

**(_____)**

_ >More like the ceiling. What’s really up? _

 

**G**

_ >Ha. _

_ >That coffee offer still stand? _

 

**(______)**

_ >Yeah, did you want to do that today? _

_ >I didn't expect you to reply so soon. _

 

**G**

_ >If ur free. _

_ >How about instead of coffee though, we make it a lunch. _

 

**(_____)**

_ >Sure. _

_ >We can set up a meet later though, I’ve gotta go to work now. _

 

**G**

_ >K _

 

Not bothering to answer that last text, you clicked off your phone and slid it into your pocket. You then shuffled downstairs and entered your small kitchen. As you went through your cupboards you realized you were right when you assumed your kitchen was empty. With no other options you stuck a piece of toast in the toaster and grabbed an apple to munch on. While the bread cooked you pulled out your phone again.

It took a few rings for your friend to answer. "Hello?"

"Alphys, my friend," you started, a large grin on your face as you could practically see her exasperation.

"What do you need?" she asked with a sigh, causing you to choke on the bite of apple you took. "Wh-whoa are you okay?"

After hitting your chest a couple of times and clearing your throat you took another bite. "Haha yeah. Nearly died but I'm fine. I was just wondering if you wanted to go grocery shopping with me after work today."

While you waited for her answer you got your toast back out and smeared some butter and jam on it. Yum.

"I think I can do that. We're nearly out too..." she trailed off. You could hear her going through her cupboards as she spoke.

"Great! How's life with Undyne by the way?" you questioned, setting your toast and apple on a clean counter while you slipped on your shoes and grabbed you bag. Usually you would indulge yourself in more well-rounded breakfast but you didn't really have the option at the moment. Plus you had snacks in your desk that would hold you over until lunch.

"Oh its been great! W-we watch anime a lot together and c-cuddle,"  you could practically feel her blush through the phone, "With me getting my degree back and her training the new recruits of the royal guard we havent seen much of each other recently though."

You frowned as you grabbed your breakfast and headed out the door. "That's too bad. You two

should plan a date night for yourselves."

"Yeah..." she trailed off. You could hear someone speaking in the background. "O-oh gotta go. I'll come by later today okay? I wanna get some new manga."

"Alrightie! Good luck Al," you responded with a grin.

"You too! Have a nice day!" and with that she hung up, leaving you to your thoughts. Stuffing your phone in your back pocket, you bit into your toast. The walk to your work was short and sweet, as you lived right next to the downtown area of the city. There were a lot more trees in this area than most of the city since the park and most of the tourist shopping center was in this district. You were lucky you were able to buy your little shop before it was taken in all honesty.

Looking up at the sky you grinned at how much of a beautiful day it was. Sure, the wind sent a chill down your spine, and the sun was just rising, but this small time between summer and fall was gorgeous. The leaves were just starting to change their colors, and the weather was just beginning to cool from the scorching summer heat. A perfect time for sweaters.

You hummed a little tune as you walked, waving to all the early morning joggers that passed you. You were happy to see some monsters out and about, setting up shop and going on their way. As you passed the park you waved to the nice cream bunny, who was happy to return the early morning greeting.

After passing a coffee shop, you backtracked and glanced at your phone. Hm. You supposed you had the time to get a little pick me up. Walking inside the little cafe, you greeted the customers with a little smile and a wave before approaching the counter. A cat monster stood behind it who honestly looked a bit too grouchy to be working in a cafe. Shaking off your uneasiness you approached the counter and sent a grin their way.

"Uh hello..." you glanced down at their red name tag, "Petronil!"

Said monster sighed, adjusting their badge and patting their bright red cap down. The cap announced the cafe's name proudly, and sat atop their short curly red hair. "It's Petronilla kid, or just Petro. They didn't have enough room for the letters I guess," they muttered under their breath before facing you again. "What can I getcha?"

After ordering your caffeinated beverage you leaned against the counter and waited for it to be made. For a moment you contemplated talking to...Petronilla was it? some more but before you could even think of the words, your order was up and ready. That was fast. You left sipping your early morning drink, sighing in content.

The rest of your walk was uneventful, and you were basically done with your drink by the time you got to your little shop. After unlocking the doors and taking a short inventory, you flipped the open sign and took a seat behind your desk.

Maybe you should start on a new novel?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like the edits?
> 
> Constructive criticism appreciated, comments encouraged.  
> Send your questions, comments, concerns and gifts to mah tumblr bruh. I've also got a tip jar if you wanna, ya'know, help a broke writer out.
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)


	3. Lost Appetite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You chat a bit with your dino friend and receive some worrying news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)

“I’m so sorry I interrupted your lunch!” Alphys apoligised for the upteenth time since you returned to your shop. Shortly after you got Alphys’s text, you returned to your shop, getting a small takeout bag for the rest of your meal.

You chuckled at your friends antics. Looking at her from behind the case register, you smiled, “Alphy, I already told you, it's fine. I was basically done anyways.”

“Y-you never go out for lunch,” Alphys pointed out, scanning your manga section, “W-what changed?”

“Oh I went with a…” you paused for a moment, trying to think of a word that accurately described your relationship with G, “...new friend.”

“T-that’s nice! I'm glad you're branching out. Where’d you m-meet them?” she questioned, flipping through a manga she had just grabbed.

“Some monster bar. Grillbys I think?” you thought for a moment before nodding, “Yeah, Grillbys. It was after that dinner at Toriels.”

“O-oh! I heard you s-stayed late at Toriels,” Alphys looked worried for a moment, “W-wait, why did you go to a b-bar? D-did you get home alright?”

You waved off her concern, “Yeah, he walked me home actually. I was kind of surprised when he offered, he didn't seem like the type to do that.”

“I’m glad you got home safe,” Alphys smiled genuinely for a second before the expression dropped into a serious one as she looked through your small manga section. The conversation quickly took a 180 as she began fervently explaining the plot of the newest anime she was watching. Fruits something? You didn’t really know, as it was hard to understand the words tumbling out of her mouth. After allowing her to rant for a bit, you interrupted with a question of your own.

“Hey Al, do you know anything about souls?” you questioned. The question made her jerk slightly, thrown off by your interest.

“W-why do you ask?” Alphys questioned. The small dinosaur monster was fidgeting slightly from her place, trying to avoid eye contact.

“I don't know. Ever since you guys mentioned it the other day I think I’ve been… feeling it?” you shrugged, “I just was curious.”

Alphys nodded, “That makes s-sense. Humans spent so long writing off souls as a concept that you stopped noticing when your soul did s-stuff. I guess when you w-were informed that they weren’t j-just a concept, you started noticing.”

“That makes sense,” you nodded, interested, “Do you have some sort of book I can borrow on them? I’m really interested in learning more.”

Alphys though for a moment before nodding. While she spoke, she brought a large stack of manga to the front desk, “Y-yeah. I can bring it to you when I g-get the chance. That might not be in a while though.”

You slowly rung up her purchases, “You still trying to get your degree transferred?”

“Yeah, it's a s-slow process, but it's working,” Alphys looked a little sheepish, “I-I think that the university is having trouble with what to do with knowledge of monster magic.”

Chuckling, you gave her the 30% off friend discount that you always did. After telling her the total, you spoke again, “Monster magic did kind of break a lot of scientific minds. And don't worry about getting me that book. Take all the time you need.”

“Thanks,” she smiled, grabbing her bag “I’ve g-got to get going. Undyne wanted to show m-me something.”

“No problem, have a nice day,” you called after her, watching the door close. Turning back to your book, you relaxed. Nothing much was probably going to happen today you speculated.

* * *

And you were right. After Alphys’s visit, you only had to help a few more customers before closing time at 4. Closing up your shop, you briskly walked home, cautiously looking around. You lived in a busy enough area that nothing would probably happen to you, but better safe than sorry. To make yourself feel more secure, you called up Papyrus as promised, and chatted with him on the way home. While you still did feel that creepy someone-is-watching-you feeling, your walk home was uneventful.

After locking your front door securely behind you, you went about your evening routine. After switching into some homebody clothes (which consisted of a really cozy hoodie and some sweats), you brewed some tea and laid out comfortably on your couch.

Mondays were pizza nights, so you had already called in your order by the time you were relaxing on the couch. It arrived rather quickly and, while you were eating, you turned on the news. You were shocked, saddened, and slightly terrified by what you found there. The Nice Cream bunny’s human datemate was attacked. Sure, you didn't know the rabbit on close terms. But you had seen him countless times at the park, serving nice cream to children with a smile on his face. They found the human beaten senseless in an alley close to their home. While they weren’t dead, they were in critical condition in a local hospital.

Needless to say, you had lost your appetite.

Feeling slightly worried and sick, you sent a message out in the group chat with all your monster friends, inquiring if they were okay. Within moments you received several texts back from everyone, signaling that they were all fine. Breathing a sigh of relief, you wrote one last text. While at first you were hesitant about doing it, with a surge of confidence and worry, you sent the text out.

 

**(____)**

_> Hey, are you okay? _

 

You sat in anticipation for a few moments. You hoped that by now he was off work, you would hate to get him in trouble for texting on the job. After about a minute waiting, you got a reply back.

 

**G**

_> Yeah, why? _

 

You sighed in relief. Sure, you had only met the skeletal man two times, but you were a natural worrywart.

 

**(____)**

_> There were some attacks on monsters today. I was just making sure. _

 

**G**

_> Im not the one with freaky stalkers kid. You didn't need to check up on me though. I’m a big skeleton. _

 

You felt both relieved and slightly frightened at the same time. You _were_ the one with the creepy stalkers. Trying to shake off your newfound paranoia, you reply.

 

**(____)**

_> Very funny. I just wanted to make sure. I would hate for anything to happen to you. _

 

**G**

_> Geeze, I swear, I’m fine. _

_> U ok?_

 

**(____)**

_> Just worried. I think I’m going to bed though. It's been a long day. _

 

**G**

_> K, night kid. _

 

**(____)**

_> Goodnight. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the horribly short chapter. I just needed to get something out.
> 
> Constructive criticism appreciated, comments encouraged.  
> Send your questions, comments, concerns and gifts to mah tumblr bruh. I've also got a tip jar if you wanna, ya'know, help a broke writer out.
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)


	4. That was Once!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternatively titled "Reader turns that frown upside down".  
> The long awaited (not really, its been like, an hour in reader time) lunch is here. And in other news, you are slightly OCD over your shop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any of ya'll know how to indent on this site, let me know because its killing me.
> 
> Early chapter because I got fanart and it made me happy. Thank you so much, you beautiful person.
> 
> Edited: 3/26/16
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)

Some days were good days inherently. On those days, everything went well, everything seemed to fit together like a perfect puzzle with not a single missing piece. Today was not one of those days.

Putting away what seemed like the hundredth misplaced book back in it's proper home, you sighed, leaning your head against the bookshelf. Today was just not your day. First, you were practically starving as you realized that you had forgotten to restock the snack stash you had depleted last week. Just adding to your cranky mood however, were the not-so-cooperative customers who kept leaving books around the reading area, or worse, putting them where they did not belong. Shuddering, you made your way back to your desk, checking the time. 12 pm.

“Thank god,” you whispered under your breath, grabbing your bag and phone. Maybe you could stop by the local supermarket and pick up a sandwich? Or, better yet, you could have Papyrus bring over some of his spaghetti creations (he had been branching out lately) and spend lunch with him. Just as you were about to call up the tall skeleton however, you remembered something rather important.

‘Oh yeah, I made plans for lunch,’ you thought to yourself, taking out your phone and shooting a text out.

**(_____)**

_> Hey, you still wanna get some lunch?_

It took close to a minute before a reply came back, making you sigh in relief. The sooner this got done with, the sooner you could eat.

**G**

_> I thought u were gonna blow me off or somethin _

_> And yeah, where u wanna meet? _

**(____)**

_> How about that cafe on Bloom street?_

**G**

_> The Pit Stop?_

**(____)**

_> Yeah_

**G**

_> k see you soon_

Clicking your phone off, you took a deep breath. You were about to have lunch with a skeleton. Okay, so maybe that wasn't so odd considering that you had ‘friendship spaghetti’ almost every other week with Papyrus, but still. You weren't the greatest at making new friends, and for some reason the prospect of screwing up your potential relationship with G scared you. Since when did you care so much about what he thought of you?

In addition, when you had first met the strange skeleton, a odd, pleasant feeling overcame your being. What exactly that meant, you didn't know.

Shrugging it off as a question for Toriel later, you slipped your phone in your bag and exited your small store, locking the doors behind you. This was the one issue with being the sole owner and operator of the bookshop. There was no one to keep it open when you were gone. Usually you packed a lunch so you could keep the shop open until closing time, but this was a special circumstance. Figuring that even if this short break would to affect your sales, it would not by much, you walked in the direction away from your store and apartment, toward Bloom street.

The walk was short and, honestly, quite uncomfortable considering how hungry you were. Luckily however, it The Pit Stop was only about 10 mintues away from your work so it didn't take too long. Ah, the advantages of living in the downtown area.

Entering the small, homey cafe, you looked around for the familiar skeleton but couldn't see him. Deciding he wasn't the type of person to skip out on something like this, especially since he was the one who wanted lunch, you nabbed a table and ordered a coffee to hold yourself over until he got there. Looking out the window, you sipped your drink. People watching was a favorite activity of yours, especially during quiet moments like this. While monsters weren’t too integrated yet, you could see the occasional one walking down the street. Most monsters moved into the small town at the base of Mount Ebbot, but gradually you were beginning to see more and more monsters move into the city.

Toriel told you that it was because they didn't want to overwhelm the town. While that explanation made sense, you still worried for the monsters in the city, especially your dear friends. They were all so kind, and the city had so many horrible people in it.

You were interrupted from your thoughts by the sound of the metal chair in front of you being moved away from the table. Looking up, you smiled when you saw G. Unlike last night, he wore a slightly oil stained uniform that seemed to have some sort of logo on the breast pocket.

“Oh, did I drag you away from work?” you questioned, slightly worried. People who employed monsters were not always the friendliest.

“Nah, I’m on my lunch break,” G waved off your comment. Looking a little smug, he continued, “Uh, couldn’t have waited for me?”

Looking down at your coffee cup, you blushed, “O-oh, sorry. I was just so hungry. I forgot to pack a snack and seriously shorted myself during breakfast.”

“Heh, just messing with you kid. So what do they have that’s good here?” he questioned, looking at the menu posted on the wall. After explaining your own personal preferences, you ordered for the both of you at the counter, insisting that you pay. You had been the one to extend the invitation after all. Considering it was a cafe, it didn't take very long for your orders to be prepared, so you found yourself seated again.

“So, uh, where do you work?” you questioned, looking at his uniform, “I don't recognize the logo.”

“Some auto repair shop. I’m not really planning on staying there though,” G said, his white pupil dimming slightly, “Whatever pays the bills, ya’know?”

“Haha, yeah,” you chuckled, “When I was in highschool, my first job was waitressing. But I seriously hated it. No offense to anyone who does waitressing, but it really wasn't my thing.”

“I can imagine you spilling drinks all over customers,” G hummed, keeping a straight face.

You laughed, blush flaring on your cheeks, “That was once!” you defended, but couldn't help the grin that broke out on your face. Calming yourself with another drink of your coffee, you looked back at G, “So if you aren’t into your job, what are your hobbies?”

“Getting to the deep stuff now, huh?” G's smirk seemed to grow before he thought for a moment, “I guess I cook a little. I couldn’t imagine myself doing any job involving cooking, but it's something I do.”

“You can cook?” you grinned, intrigued, “You’re gonna have to teach me sometime, I am absolutely horrible in the kitchen. I probably know how to make a grand total of 3 things.”

“Sure, if you want to. I didn't really peg you as a kitchen hazard though,” looking slightly interested he continued, “What do you do? Ya’know, when you’re not going to bars late at night.”

“That also, was one time!” you exclaimed, but couldn't help the chuckle that escaped you. Finishing the bite of food you just took, you replied, “And to answer your question, I own a small bookshop just a few blocks away, so I spend most of my time there.”

“Books huh?” G questioned, “You like that?”

“Yeah, it's nice,” you smiled softly, “Like a second home…”

It was at that point the conversation turned off. It wasn't an extremely uncomfortable silence, but you did feel a little awkward for not talking. Luckily however, G broke it before you had to.

“Thanks for lunch, but I’ve gotta get going,” he looked down at his phone, checking the time, before standing, “Boss will be on my a** if I take longer than I’m supposed to.”

“Oh, well thanks for coming. We should do this again sometime,” you suggested, feeling a surge of confidence.

At your comment, G nodded, allowing a small smile to grace his face before his familiar blank face settled back on. “Sure, see ya,” he waved, walking out of the small cafe and down the street.

You couldn’t stop smiling as you finished up your small meal. You were startled slightly when your phone buzzed.

**Alphy**

_> you okay? i just stopped by your shop and you weren’t there! >.<_

You couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Constructive criticism appreciated, comments encouraged.  
> Send your questions, comments, concerns and gifts to mah tumblr bruh. I've also got a tip jar if you wanna, ya'know, help a broke writer out.
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)


	5. General Papyrus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You just wanted to go to the movies dangit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)

The next couple of days had been rough to say the least. When your monster friends heard about the incident regarding the nice-cream salesman, they had become increasingly protective of you. They seemed to be taking shifts to make sure you were never alone. And that’s what lead you to your current situation.

“Papyrus, it’s just the movies. I doubt anything will happen to me,” you tried to reassure the tall skeleton who was currently pacing in front of you with his non-existent brows furrowed. You raised your hands in a placating gesture, but it seemed to only upset the poor monster further.

“But what if you were attacked!” Papyrus questioned, making wild hand movements, “It is I, the Great Papyrus, who has the duty of looking after you on Saturdays! I could hardly leave my post!”

“Papyrus,” you sighed, “I understand, but I really wanted to see this movie and, um, I don't really think you would enjoy it much.”

The movie you were referring to was a recently released science fiction thriller, and, based on the trailers, it wasn't for the faint of heart, “And that is why I must insist that you wait for another day to see it! We can have a movie night tonight if you wish,” Papyrus looked at you eagerly, “I don't think you’ve seen Romance and Bloodshed 2: Mettaton’s Re-”

You cut him off, getting a little exasperated with the whole situation, “No, please, not another Mettaton movie. I’m sorry Paps, I just,” you paused for a moment, trying to collect your words, “I appreciate how much you guys are worried about me, I really do, but I feel a little… smothered right now. I just want to go out and see a movie. I’m sure nothing will happen to me.”

“I am sorry, but we don't want you to get hurt!” Papyrus exclaimed, “Sans told me you toldToriel about bad humans following you-”

You did tell her that, and you were beginning to regret that decision.

“-and you really shouldn’t go anywhere alone,” Papyrus finished.

You thought for a moment as irritation, an emotion you didn’t feel often, was swelling in you. You just wanted a nice night out. It was like your friends thought you incapable or something!

 _No_ , a voice within you spoke, _they are just worried about you. And it would be a bad idea to go out on your own. Why not invite out another friend?_

But what other friends did you have? Sure, you enjoyed the company of your monster friends, but you just wanted some time away from them, even if it was just two hours. Suddenly, a thought that you had dismissed at the beginning of this conversation reared it's head again.

“What if I went with another friend?” You questioned, making Papyrus turn around from the Mettaton movies he was scrolling though in your apartment. They had all come from him.

“No offense friend,” Papyrus began, eye sockets furrowing, “But I was not aware that you had any other friends in this area. You did move here alone, correct?”

“Yeah, I met him a couple of days ago. Give me a second,” you muttered that last part as you got your phone out of your pocket, quickly sending a text out. A pleasing response came back momentarily, making you grin a bit, “He said that he’s willing to tag along. Please Papyrus, can we just let this one go?”

Your skeletal friend pondered over this for a moment as you sat in apprehension. Sure, you could go regardless of his wishes, after all, you were an adult. But distressing Papyrus was like kicking a puppy, something which you did not enjoy doing. Finally, after a minute of thought, he gave you a thoughtful look, “I… suppose that is okay human friend. Please text me periodically so I know you’re okay though!”

“10-4 sir!” You saluted Papyrus jokingly while confirming your plans through a short text.

 

**(____)**

_> I’ve just got permission from the general. Should I meet you there? _

 

**G**

_> Nah, I can pick you up. Just looked at the times and a showing is playing at 6. See you soon. _

 

**(____)**

_> K. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, its short and kind of disappointing. 
> 
> Constructive criticism appreciated, comments encouraged.  
> Send your questions, comments, concerns and gifts to mah tumblr bruh. I've also got a tip jar if you wanna, ya'know, help a broke writer out.
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)


	6. Audible Wink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus is not a subtle skeleton.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)

After receiving that short text from G, you scrambled to get dressed into some more appropriate clothing. You doubted it would be socially acceptable for you to go out in socks and pajamas. Only Sans could really rock that look.

Looking through your closet, you decided to wear a simple sweater, jeans combo that you thought you looked pretty decent in. More importantly however, you were comfortable in it.

Just as you were about to pull on some shoes, you heard a knock at the door. You scrambled to shove your feet into your shoes before grabbing your purse and running to the front door. Papyrus, bless his dear soul, had answered the door for you while you were getting dressed and there stood G. He wore the same jacket that you had seen him in the first time you met him, but this time he was wearing a black turtleneck under it. Casual and comfortable. Good, you hadn’t under or overdressed.

Just as you were about to open your mouth to greet him, you noticed something odd about the way he was staring at Papyrus, who was flamboyantly introducing himself with grand expressions and gestures. His usual nonchalant expression was replaced with an unreadable and slightly guarded one as he nodded along with Papyrus. Before you could direct your eyes away, he caught your gaze, making you blush slightly from staring.

“G! I’m sorry for making you wait,” you breathed, trying to get rid of the red that was most definitely staining your cheeks.

G just dismissed your concerns with a wave of one holed hand, “I didn’t have to wait that long. You ready to head out?”

“Yeah,” you replied before turning to Papyrus and giving him a huge hug that he returned, “Bye Paps, I’ll be sure to text you.”

“Of course friend! Have a nice date!” He smiled at you slightly mischievously, and winked audibly.

You didn't glorify his embarrassing comment with an answer. Grabbing G’s arm, you pulled him out the door.

“Geeze, I’m sorry about him. He’s not exactly… subtle,” you laughed anxiously. You didn't want this friendly outing to be ruined by Papyrus’s good, but embarrassing, intentions.

“Nah, it's fine,” G smirked, looking at where you were still holding on to his arm, “You’re not exactly subtle either.”

Jumping back from him, you realized how hard you had been gripping his arm, you opened your mouth to apologize again, but G cut you off.

“I told you, it's fine,” G’s smirk seemed to grow, “It's not the first time you’ve tried to jump my bones.”

“Jerk!” You laughed, shoulder bumping him before looking around for a car. You couldn't fine one. “So, we walking?”

“Nah,” G shook his head, “We’re taking a short cut.”

“Oh, like Sans?” You questioned, looking slightly nervous, “Just a warning, they make me seriously nauseous.”

“I forgot you knew Sans,” G muttered under his breath before he turned to you fully, “And I’m pretty sure you won't get nauseous with me. I do it a little differently.”

“Really?” You questioned, turning toward him, “How so?”

“Well, you walked through a portal thing when you ‘jumped’ with him, right?” G questioned. After you nodded, he continued, “The portals, they’re like tears, and are pretty unstable. That’s why people who aren’t used to them get nauseous.”

“That makes sense,” you smiled for a moment before giving him a suspicious look, “So how do you do it?”

“It’d be easier to show ya,” G replied, stepping closer to you and opening his arms in a hug like motion, “Come closer.”

Ignoring the spark of hesitation that burst in you, you stepped forward. As soon as you were close enough, G wrapped his arms around you, pulling you even closer. Startled, you gripped his jacket on instinct and the strangest feeling overcame you. Ignoring the slight pulse your soul gave as you were in G’s arms, you tried to understand the odd feeling. Just as soon as it came however, it left, and G stepped back from you.

While you did feel slightly faint, you did not feel the same crippling nausea that you felt from Sans’s shortcuts. Allowing yourself to be steadied by G’s hand on your shoulder, you took a deep breath before looking around. Just as G had said, you were in front of the movie theater.

“Care to explain?” You questioned, looking up at G.

He seemed to search your expression before he shook his head, “I can after the movie. We’re going to be late though if we don't hurry up.”

“Oh,” you replied simply, deciding to drop it. Walking side by side with your companion, you bought your tickets without getting much trouble from the worker. You had to stop G from immediately heading to the theater however, “We need to get popcorn!”

G raised an eyebrow, “It this one of your weird human customs?”

You laughed at his slightly confused expression, “Kind of. My Grandma always used to insist that we get stuff from the concession stand. It's kind of a tradition for me now,” your grin dropped from humored to sheepish when you saw his expression, “I mean, we don't have to, but…”

“Well, the popcorn isn’t going to get itself,” G’s smirk softened as he watched your smile turn excited once again. You lead him over to the concession stand to get some treats and popcorn. While the person behind the counter was noticeably ruder toward yourself and G than the other worker, both of you ignored it. One rude person was not going to ruin your good time.

After gathering your food, you both headed toward theater 3, the one with your movie playing in it. You both had gotten there early enough to get good seats, and after being seated you both relaxed. Looking around, you started noticing the stares of the other people in the theater. While not all of them were full out glares, they unnerved you a bit. They were staring at you like you had just did something really gutsy and stupid.

That's when you remembered who exactly you were with, and how it must look to others. A bright red blush covered your face as you quickly turned your attention to the popcorn in front of you. Your hopes that G didn't notice your discomfort were dashed when he smoothly put his arm on your seat. Behind you.

Your blush only seemed to increase ten-fold as you shot him a look that he only returned with a smirk.

With your face turning all sorts of shades of red, your heart pounding, and your soul pulsing, you didn't notice the people next to you until it was too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a chapter.  
> *Shoves it in your face.*
> 
> Constructive criticism appreciated, comments encouraged.  
> Send your questions, comments, concerns and gifts to mah tumblr bruh. I've also got a tip jar if you wanna, ya'know, help a broke writer out.
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)


	7. Good Things Come from Bad Circumstances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, at least you got your night out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)

A ice cold liquid was suddenly dumped onto your legs, making you jump up in surprise. Turning your head sharply to the left, you saw a woman looking at you with a completely over exaggerated look of surprize and sadness on her face. No amount of acting could cover up the smirk on her lips however.

“Oh I am  _ so  _ sorry,” she drawled, her eyes crinkling in slight amusement, “Did I disturb your date? Maybe it would be better to keep your filthy interspecies relationships at home, huh?”

While you could feel the embarrassment and anger swelling in your soul, you couldn't find any words. You were horrible with confrontations. Luckily for you, you had a teleporting skeleton with you who promptly stood with you, wrapped an arm around you, and teleported both of you away. This time, because you were facing outward, you were able to see the intense darkness that G traveled through to go from place to place. Feeling slightly dazed, you arrived at your destination.

Almost immediately G pulled away from you and turned you around, eye lights searching your face. For a moment you thought you saw a twinge of yellow in his right pupil, but was gone as soon as it appeared. When you began swaying slightly, he placed two steadying hands on your shoulders, which you appreciated greatly.

“You alright?” He questioned, his usual gruff, uncaring voice laced with concern. When you didn't reply, a frown tugged on his grin, “Kid, you hear me?”

You nodded despite yourself, “Y-yeah. Sorry. I don't know what…”

“It was my fault. I shouldn’t of let you look outward,” G spoke, grumbling the last part.

“Wh-what was that?” You whispered, slightly terrified, “I-it was so dark and-”

G interrupted you, turning you around gently and guiding you toward a small apartment building. “I’ll explain inside. Sorry, I brought you to my place on accident. I don't think you’d be up for teleporting more though.”

You just nodded, still feeling the aftereffects of that unexpected jump. You allowed the tall skeleton to guide you into the small, slightly rag-tag building. It wasn’t the nicest place to live, but most monsters were just grateful to have a home. Going up to the third floor, G released his gentle hold on you for a moment to unlock the apartment door before guiding you into the apartment.

The home was small to say the least, with the kitchen and the living room practically existing in the same space. It was also very sparsely decorated, with only the bare necessities of furniture and a odd looking television sitting in the living room. There was no pictures hanging on the walls either, giving the pale surfaces an even bleaker feel. In the back of the small living room/kitchen, next to a door (presumably his bedroom), was a small table with only two chairs sitting by it.

When you entered the home though, a strange feeling coursed through you. It was very similar to the feeling of teleporting with G, but a lot more tangible and all-encompassing. While it did bug the edge of your senses lightly, you decided now was not the time to ask.

While you were observing your surroundings, G brought you to the small couch that was in front of the TV and sat you on it. While it did look a little old, it was very comfortable. You sank into it with a sigh.

“I’m gonna get you some water,” G said after a beat of silence. Getting up from his crouched position in front of you, he walked into the tiled portion of the room with the kitchen appliances and quickly brought you a bottle of water from the fridge, “Drink it slowly.”

Nodding, you took his advice and slowly sipped from the water bottle. Slowly, you felt the hazy daze that had fallen over you leave, “What was that? Why did it make me feel so…”

“Drained,” G questioned. You nodded gesturing for him to explain. He did with mild hesitation, “Remember how I said I travel from place to place differently than Sans?”

“Yeah. You said he made tears, but you didn’t,” you remembered, “But you didn't explain what you did.”

“First, let me say it sounds much more complicated than it actually is,” G prefaced, “My body, or uh, more specifically my soul, is able to move through the void, that place you saw, smoothly. Think of it like submerging in a bath, and then coming back up. The void has literally nothing in it, and kind of exists on it's own pane of reality. In a way, it's everywhere and nowhere. Sans uses it to make holes to other places, unstable holes, while I am just able to pass through it.”

“Okay, you were right when you said it sounds super complicated,” you expressed, slightly befuzzled, “How are you able to move through it? Why did it make me feel all weird.”

“Well the feeling was because you looked at it. We aren’t used to seeing such empty space. And when I say empty, I mean  _ empty _ . There is literally  _ nothing _ there. It makes our senses go all out of whack. I usually close my eye sockets when I do it,” G looked at you slightly sheepishly from his place on the couch beside you, “Sorry about not telling you. I just needed to get out of there, you know?”

“Oh, yeah. I’m not mad,” you quickly said, waving your arms slightly, “I just would have appreciated some forewarning is all. I guess I kind of get it? I mean, I know I’m not going to fully get it, cause, you know, magic,” you did the jazz hands motion, a small grin on your face.

“Heh, yeah,” G looked himself again before the grin slipped from his face, “Sorry ‘bout the movie.”

“Honestly, I can just see it when it gets out of the theaters,” you shrugged, “But to be honest, I am kind of disappointed I didn't get to have my night out.”

“Well we could still watch some movies,” G shrugged, gesturing to his odd TV and DVD player, “As long as you don't mind Mettato-”

“Oh god no,” you groaned, falling back against the seats, “It that a semi updated device? I can hook up my Netflix if it is.”

G shrugged, “You can go ahead and try. I’m not used to all your human stuff. I mean, I’m good with technology, but I’m not updated yet. Want some food?”

“Oh yeah, you cook!” You exclaimed, getting excited, “I would love to have your cooking, if it's not too much trouble. I haven't really eaten dinner yet, I was planning on just gorging on popcorn.”

“I don't know, maybe I’m too tired to cook for you, some random human I met at a bar a week ago,” G teased, smirking at you.

“Ah geez, when you put it like that it sounds weird,” you laughed, “And I’m sharing my Netflix. I think that deserves a reward in of itself.”

“Fine, if you’re going to put it like that,” G sighed over exaggeratingly, “But you owe me. You up for anything?”

“Anything but spagetti. I love Papyrus, but I am sick of the stuff,” you sighed, getting up to mess with the DVD player. While you fiddled with it (it luckily could run Netflix), G got to work, chopping and cooking up something that smelled rather good. After finishing up with the DVD player, you turned around and watched G work. It looked like he was cooking up a stir fry of sorts. Taking your eyes off the food, you looked at G’s face. It surprised you how peaceful he looked. Whenever you had seen him, he always had some sort of smirk on. Currently however, while he looked rather neutral, you could see how the tension seemed to leave him as he tossed the food in the large pan.

Averting your eyes when he turned, you thanked him for the food before plopping on the couch. Taking a small nibble from the food, you weren’t surprised, “This is really good! Thank you so much again.”

“No problem,” G shrugged, taking a bite, “Now what’s this Netflix thing you were talking about?”

After explaining to G the concept of Netflix, you both decided on a random old science fiction show. Sitting in silence with only the occasional comment between you two was very calming, and after you finished your meal you found yourself nearing sleep on the couch. That feeling that startled you when you first entered the apartment now felt very comforting, surrounding you like a blanket.

It was with your head on the couch’s arm rest that you finally fell asleep, oblivious to the blanket and pillow that soon joined you on the couch, and the incessant buzzing of your phone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's longer than usual. You're welcome.
> 
> Constructive criticism appreciated, comments encouraged.  
> Send your questions, comments, concerns and gifts to mah tumblr bruh. I've also got a tip jar if you wanna, ya'know, help a broke writer out.
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)


	8. Tickles and Pictures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The omelet was never finished.
> 
> Also, Papyrus has been hanging out with Alphys too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)

You woke to a nudge on the shoulder. Muttering under your breath, you turned around on the cosy surface you were on. So comfortable…

Shooting up, you realized this was not your bed, this was not your home, and this was certainly not the skeleton you thought you would be waking up to.

“Whoa kid,” G stood up all the way. He was dressed in some casual clothes, but what made you stare was the phone he was holding out for you, “I wouldn’t have woken you up if your phone wasn't blowing up so much. I think someone is really trying to get ahold of you.”

“Crap,” you cursed, grabbing your phone and going through your messages. Geez you were screwed.

 

**The GREAT Papyrus - 20 Missed Calls**

_ >Human friend! You have not contacted me yet. Are you alright? _

_ >Human? _

_ >Human are you alright? _

_ >Human I believe you should be home by now! _

_ >Are you still with your ‘friend’? _

_ >I do not mind if you stay with your friend, but please tell me human! _

_ >I am contacting Toriel! _

 

**Goat Mom - 5 Missed Calls**

_ >My child, Papyrus tells me that you have not returned his texts? Are you alright? -Sincerely, Toriel _

_ >Please respond my child -Sincerely, Toriel _

_ >Please contact me as soon as you get these messages. I am worried. -Sincerely, Toriel _

 

**Spooky Scary Skeleton - 2 Missed Calls**

_ >hey kid, answer your phone _

_ >youre really freaking out tori and paps, answer your phone _

_ >is this a joke? _

_ >cause this aint funny kid _

_ >listen, i know we aren’t the best of pals but you gotta answer me _

_ >kid _

_ >what does paps mean when he says you went with another skeleton _

_ >what skeleton _

 

**Scary Fish - 10 Missed Calls**

_ >YO KID, YOU HAVE PAPYRUS AND THE QUEEN ALL SCARED _

_ >STOP WORRYING THEM _

_ >I KNOW YOU’RE FRIENDS WITH THEM AND ALPHYS BUT I WILL END YOU IF YOU KEEP THIS UP _

_ >ANSWER YOUR D*** PHONE! _

 

**Alphy - 5 Missed Calls**

_ >(___)? _

_ >Toriel, Papyrus and I are really worried _

_ >Please respond. _

_ >Sorry if this is annoying, but I’m worried. _

 

“I’m screwed,” you groaned, falling back on the couch, “Undyne and Sans are going to kill me. They’re going to kill me.”

“I doubt that,” G smirked, handing you an omelet that you hadn’t noticed him holding, “I mean, they’re your friends right?”

“I guess,” you shrugged, taking a small bite of the delicious egg dish, “Sans and Undyne aren’t really big fans of me though. I think they’re still suspicious. They weren’t exactly welcoming when I first met Alphys.”

“What are ya-” G started, but he was interrupted by your phone buzzing.

 

**Call from: The GREAT Papyrus**

 

Quickly answering the call, you held the phone away from your ear when you heard his frantic yells, “(____)? IS THAT YOU! ARE YOU OKAY! WHY HAVE YOU NOT BEEN ANSWERING YOUR PHONE!”

“Papyrus I am so sorry!” You apologised, setting down your breakfast, “I crashed on G’s couch and totally forgot to text you.”

“SO YOU ARE OKAY? UNHARMED?” Papyrus questioned, his voice starting to come down from it's high, but not quite ear ready yet.

“Yes, I am completely fine. I am so sorry,” you said remorsefully, ignoring the odd look G was giving you, “Can you tell Sans and Undyne not to kill me? Because I’m pretty sure they want to kill me.”

“I can guarantee that Undyne will not kill you! Alphys would not allow her!” That was not reassuring in the slightest, “Oh yes! And before I forget! Sans really wants you to send us a picture of your skeletal friend that is not I, the Great Papyrus!”

“Um, okay,” you spoke slowly, glancing at G for a moment, “I don't think he would mind that. I’ll send it in the group chat. I’ve gotta call Alphys and Toriel now. Sorry.”

“Not a problem friend!” Papyrus shouted, his vigor back at full power, “Do not have too much fun with your ‘friend’!”

You decided to hang up before you went down that road any further.

Scrolling through your contacts, you called Toriel next. After a through scolding from her and a few well placed apologies, you called Alphys.

“(___)? Is that r-really you?” Alphys questioned as soon as she picked up the phone.

You smiled softly, Alphys was one of your dearest friends, “Yeah, Alphy, it's me. I’m sorry for not calling…”

“Papyrus s-says you stayed over a-at your friend’s house? I-Is that the same friend you went to lunch with the other day?” She questioned, her voice laced with an inquisitive tone.

“Yeah?” You answered honestly, “The movie idea didn't go so well. I’ll tell you about it later.”

“Oh my goodness you have too!” Alphys squealed, her mood suddenly changing, “He saved you didn't he? He totally saved you! This is like one of my shojo manga-”

“Whoa there Al, don't get too carried away,” you breathed, trying to hold the blush down on your cheeks, “It was just a friendly hangout, no anime involved.”

“Ssssuuuuurrrree,” Alphys drawled, her voice borderline teasing, “You have to send me a picture of him though! No, of you together! Humans have a name for that right? S-selfie?”

“Oh my goodness I am hanging up now!” You groaned, hanging up before she could say anything more. While you loved your friends, they were such embarrassing dorks sometimes. Scratch that, all the time.

“Hey, my friends want to know what you look like. Mind if I take a picture of us together to send to them?” You questioned, turning to G. For a moment he seemed almost reluctant and slightly dejected before he shrugged.

“Sure kid,” he smirked, snatching the phone out of your hands and plopping on the couch beside you, “If you wanted a new phone background, you just had to ask.”

“You are such a flirt!” You laughed, trying to ignore the blush on your cheeks. Trying to stay calm, you leaned toward him more, getting your face in the shot of the camera. Once both of your faces were in the shot, you smiled expectantly. Before G took the picture however (how he did that on a touchscreen you had no idea), you got a little poke on the side, making you laugh suddenly. The artificial sound of a camera shutter went off before you had the chance to straighten out, and G quickly turned the phone around for you to see the picture, a smirk on his face.

While G was calm and composed, albet a little snarky as he looked at you out of the corner of his eyes, you had a huge smile on your face, the picture being caught in the middle of your reaction. You smiled at the picture, knowing that you had to get that printed for your wall of pictures in your room. Quickly sending that out to the group chat, with a small message that read something along the lines of ‘Meet G’, you picked up your now lukewarm omelet.

“Thanks for that,” you grinned at G before taking a bite. While it was delicious, it was slightly less so now because it had cooled. Dang, what a disappointment.

“No problem,” G shrugged, a look of slight nervousness crossed his face for a split second before it settled back into a smirk, “So you’re ticklish huh?”

“Don't you even dare!” You laughed, dodging out of the way of his hands while holding your omelet to prevent it from falling, “You’re going to make me drop my breakfast! What would my poor stomach do then?”

G just shrugged, “I don't know, but I think your pants are more in trouble than your stomach.”

Looking down, you saw the huge spot on the front of your pants. For a split second you thought you peed yourself before you remembered what made you come here in the first place, “God I totally forgot. I seriously need to change, these are so uncomfortable. How did I not notice before!?”

“You were in shock from our little, ehm, jump, remember,” G said, snatching the now half-empty plate out of your hands. After depositing it in the sink, he approached you, arms outstretched like the first time you teleported with him. Taking the hint, you stepped forward and hung onto him. For a split second, that strange, daze like feeling overcame you again, but you held tightly to G. He was the only solid in this place.

After landing, G stepped back from you and you found yourself in your entryway, right inside your front door, “Thanks G, for-for everything.”

“No problem kid. Try to stay out of trouble, alright?” He teased in a fake stern voice, and in a blink he was gone.

Smiling slightly, you headed up to your room, checking your messages to see what your friends replied.

 

**The GREAT Papyrus**

_ >Ah yes, the other skeleton. Tall like me and befuddlingly snarky like my brother. I almost kicked him out when he told me a pun when he first arrived! _

_ >I hope you had fun! But not too much fun! ;) _

 

What the heck Papyrus.

 

**Scary Fish**

_ >You two look like nerds. _

 

**Alphy**

_ >*sqeals* omg we need to talk now. _

_ >im coming over!!!! |(o.o)/ _

 

**Goat Mom**

_ >It looks like you had fun. I am glad you are making friends my dear. -Sincerely Toriel _

_ >A skele-ton of fun! :D -Sincerely Toriel _

 

**Spooky Scary Skeleton**

_ >thats my joke tori _

_ >im the bone-ified pun master here _

 

You smiled at the conversation, but paused when you saw that Sans messaged you in an individual text conversation as well.

 

**Spooky Scary Skeleton**

_ >we need to talk kid _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *hands more fluff* Here you go. Have some more fluff with some threats at the end. And innuendo Paps was something I never thought I would write. Joy.
> 
> Constructive criticism appreciated, comments encouraged.  
> Send your questions, comments, concerns and gifts to mah tumblr bruh. I've also got a tip jar if you wanna, ya'know, help a broke writer out.
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)


	9. The Birds and the Bees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alphys and you chat a bit, and have some fun times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)

Seeing as she just lived across town, it didn't take long for Alphys to arrive at your house. Hearing the frantic knocks on your door, you laughed as you got up from your couch. Opening your door, you smiled down at the shorter monster, who looked way more excited than she should. She seemed to be ready to burst, so you quickly lead her to your couch before taking a seat yourself.

Tucking your legs under yourself, you leaned against the arm of the couch before speaking, “Okay, go ahead Al.”

“Oh my goodness why didn’t you tell me you two were such a cute couple!” Alphys nearly screeched, as a large grin overtook her face. She waved her arms wildly as if it would help her make her point.

A twinge of sadness went through you that you immediately snuffed out. Laughing at her excitement, you blushed despite yourself, “That's because we’re not a couple Al. Emphasis on the  _ not _ .”

She squealed again, “It ways starts like that, but then you draw closer, and become more than friends, and realize your feelings and-”

“Listen, Al, as much as I love how happy this makes you I,” you trailed off, eyes becoming distant. Shifting in your seat so you were leaning against the back of the couch, you finished your thought, “I don't think I’m ready to get involved with anyone. At least not yet.”

Alphys’s smile dropped as she placed a comforting hand on your shoulder, “I-I’m sorry. Did I push too much?”

“Naw, I’m not one to wallow in self pity. At least, not anymore,” you said, a soft smile gracing your lips, “Whatever happends, happends, but I’m not going to push things, okay? And I would appreciate if you did the same.”

Alphys nodded solemnly, “O-of course!” Despite her words, you could see her squirming in her seat and could practically feel the excitement wafting off her in waves.

You smiled at her efforts to contain herself, “We can still talk about him Al. Don't worry about offending me.”

“Oh thank god, because I don't think I could contain it any longer!” Alphys gasped, a large smile returning to her face, “Skeleton monsters are so rare! And he has such nice features…”

You laughed, “He doesn’t have any features Al, he’s a skeleton. And what do you mean skeleton monsters are rare?”

Alphys shrugged, “I thought Sans and Papyrus were the only skeleton monsters until I saw your picture.”

“Do you think Sans knows him?” You questioned, pulling out your phone. “Look at this message he sent me when he saw that picture of G. Weird, huh?”

Alphys stared at the message for a moment before handing the phone back to you with a curious glance, “To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were related. Usually similar looking monsters are in some way.”

You couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped your lips, “Th-that sounds so racist!”

Alphys flushed, “Y-you know what I mean! But seriously. Because there are so few skeleton monsters, it would be strange if they  _ weren’t _ related in some way.”

“But Paps didn't seem to know him,” you muttered, before remembering something, “Speaking of Papyrus, are you the one who’s been soiling his poor, innocent mind?”

“I-I don't know what you’re talking about,” Alphys stuttered out, a guilty expression growing on her face as she shifted slightly in her seat.

“Really?” You gave her an incredulous look, “Then why does he keep insinuating I’m ‘doing the do’ with G?”

“Papyrus isnt as innocent as he makes himself out to be!” Alphys argued. Despite this she seemed to be getting increasingly more red-faced the longer you continued.

“Yeah, but you guys don’t, you know, have sex like humans do. And the only person I know who knows stuff like that is you Al. Don't play dumb, I know you have those hentis!” You accused, a smirk growing on your face at her increasingly flustered expression.

“I-I-” she stuttered, a hot red blush growing on her face. With a meep, she hid her face in the Hello Kitty scarf she was currently wearing. If this was a cartoon, there would probably be steam coming out of her ears.

“Al,” you kept pushing. And that was the straw that broke the camel's back.

“Fine!” She exclaimed, lifting her bright red face, “Fine! It was me! But it was an accident, okay! S-So I might of accidently left one of my…  _ special _ anime in the DVD player when Papyrus came over to train with Undyne. I couldn't just let him stew on that without any idea of what just happened!”

“Y-you gave Papyrus the birds and the bees speech,” you choked out, trying to contain your laughter. You were failing miserably at that endeavor.

Alphys groaned in despair and tucked her face into her scarf. When she spoke again, her voice was muffled by the cloth, “Sans keeps staring me down.”

“You feel your sins crawling on your back,” you said ominously before bursting with laughter, “I-I’m sorry Al. I-it's just…”

Soft chuckles came from the scarf as Alphys peeked out slightly, “I-I know. It's funny.”

And with that both of you dissolved into chuckles. As your laughing fit subsided, you sighed as you leaned on Alphys a little. Alphys leaned back as you turned on the TV and you both sat in a comfortable silence.

“I’m glad w-we met that day,” Alphys mumbled, which made you smile softly.

“Even if I was a pathetic, recovering alcoholic?” You questioned softly, not daring to look down at her expression.

Before answering, your friend grabbed your hand and squeezed it gently, “Even then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the relationship between Alphys and Reader. Friendship goals people.
> 
> I know its short, but I wanted to expand on Alphys a little more.
> 
> Constructive criticism appreciated, comments encouraged.  
> Send your questions, comments, concerns and gifts to mah tumblr bruh. I've also got a tip jar if you wanna, ya'know, help a broke writer out.
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)


	10. Talking and Teasing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A night in the town with good food, good friends and good laughs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Revised 8/6/16
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)

**Talking and Teasing**

The weeks after your and G's impromptu sleepover were an enjoyable mix of interesting and delightful. You could now say with confidence that you and G were great friends. The two of you just...clicked really well with one another. While he did say the occasional rude thing, you had come to realize he didn't actually mean any of what he said, and that it was mostly for comedic relief. And that was something you could appreciate.

One of your favorite things about the time you two spent together was your playful banter. So long as you didn't step too far over the line, the two of you could toss insults back and forth like it was nothing. A highlight of your friendship was the time you, him and his two friends went to farmers market together.

Farmers market was a weekly thing in the city of Ebott, and yourself, G, Felix and his cousin Petro were all strolling through the downtown area checking out the booths. Felix, it turned out, was one of G's friends from the Underground. While he and his cousin were reminiscent of a certain grumpy feline that was a classic on the internet, you decided not to share that point of view.

"And then I told him to get his sorry a** out of my coffee shop and to never come back," Petro gloated, her bright red curly hair bouncing around her head.

You hummed in interest as you bit into the churro you just bought. Petro was a very... passionate lady you had discovered. While she reminded you of Undyne a bit, her lazy attitude was more in Sans territory.

"It's not your coffee shop though," G reminded the cat monster while chewing on some candy he got earlier.

"I was the only one working so it was basically mine at the moment," Petro waved off his concern. "Besides he was being a jacka** to that kid."

Felix laughed. "You sure? You can be pretty dramatic sometimes va-Nilla."

Petro mock punched Felix in the shoulder, making her cousin hiss in pain. "Told you not to call me that fuzzball. And no I was not being 'over-dramatic'," she rolled her eyes as she did air quotes.

"Yeah you probably weren't," you nodded, shoving some trash into your pocket. "Working customer service sucks sometimes."

Felix nodded sagely before turning to you, a curious expression on his face. "You work in customer service?"

You shrugged. "Kind of. I mean I have a little...bookstore downtown that I run, but I'm sure it's not as bad as being in food."

"Bookstore?" Petro questioned, looking you up and down. "Yeah you look like the type."

"Its downtown?" G asked, popping another candy into his mouth. "Can we stop by it then?"

You froze for a moment before nodding your head slowly. "I mean, if you want. It's just a boring old book shop."

"I'm down," Petro spoke, "Besides I could use a smoke break. Plus Felix is a nerd, he'd probably like it."

"What the h*** Petro!?" Felix shouted indignantly. "I am not."

Petro laughed as she stuck her hands into her bomber jacket. "Yes, yes you are. Lead the way _____."

 

* * *

 

 

"Um here it is," you said awkwardly as you unlocked the doors to your little shop. "Feel free to smoke outside, but not inside please."

"Yeah yeah I getcha," Petro waved her hand as she leaned against the side of the building. "I'll join you guys when I'm done."

You nodded before opening the doors and turning on the lights. "It's not much. There are labels for the sections though if you're interested."

"Show G the cooking section!" Petro shouted from outside. How she heard you through all the noise from the farmers market you didn't know. "He's a total wifu in the kitchen!"

G grumbled to himself as you pointed him to the cooking section. Felix began laughing though. "She's right dude. You're a clean freak too."

"What is this, s*** on G day?" G muttered to himself. He did head over to the cooking section though.

While G and Felix threw insults back and forth, you decided to get to know Petro a little better.

"You look familiar," you said as soon as you leaned against the wall next to the smoking cat.

"I think you've come into the coffee shop once or twice," Petro shrugged. "Ever heard of the Red Cafe?"

You snapped your fingers in recognition. "Oh yeah, I know that place. You're...Petronill? Petronilla!"

Petro hummed after puffing out a little more smoke. "You've got me."

"What'd you do before the coffee shop?" you asked as you slid down to sit on the ground next to the shop. Petro joined you soon after.

"Eh this and that. My mom and dad died when I was pretty young from one of the humans that dropped down there. After that I moved in with my aunt, Felix's mom, and grew up with him. We all lived in Snowdin," Petro began.

"I'm sorry to hear about your parents," you frowned. "I know some monsters from Snowdin though. Do Sans and Papyrus ring a bell?"

"The skeletons," Petro guessed bluntly. "Yeah Sans liked to d*** around with me when I was on break. We got into all sorts of trouble. He was an a** but he loved his brother enough to work all the da** time. Papyrus you said?"

"Yeah, Paps and I are pretty good friends," you nodded. "Where did you work? I was under the impression Sans had a ton of jobs in the Underground."

"Far as I know he still does. And I was just getting to where I worked. Fi and I wanted to get into the showbiz, so we decided to go to the one place it maybe was possible. MTT Hotel right next to CORE," Petro sighed, snuffing out the burnt end of her cig. "Man that place was fancy. We got there just as Mettaton himself was doing a show thing and were randomly selected for his little star program. Yeah it didn't last long."

You looked curiously at the cat monster. "What happened?"

"Felix and I were young and dumb. We didn't really know what we were getting into when we signed his contract. He sweet talked us into signing basically our lives away," she flicked the now dead bud of the cigarette away. Now having nothing to do with her hands she shoved them into her pockets.

"Wait," you interrupted. "You work at the Cafe now, and Felix is studying to be..."

"A lawyer."

"Yeah that. How did you sign your life away then?"

"Well," Petro scratched the back of her head. "The contract basically said that we were gonna work for him until the barrier was broken. It'd been awhile since the last human fell down so everyone was kind of losing hope. So it basically was a life sentence, at least at the time."

"Oh," you whispered, looking up at the sky. The cold night air bit at your hands but you ignored the feeling. The bright lights from the market lit up the night, giving it a surreal feeling. "Well at least you're free now, right?"

You missed the surprised and affectionate look Petro was giving you, but you didn't miss when she ruffled your hair. "Yeah, at least we're free now."

 

* * *

 

 

After that pit stop at your shop the three of you decided to get some drinks at Grillbyz to end the night. This did make you slightly nervous, as the temptation to drink would be strong, but you decided it would be a good test of will.

"So how did you and Felix meet?" you asked G once your group got a booth. Grillbyz was pretty packed, but it wasn't all that surprising or different than the other shops.

Felix laughed. "You make it sound like we're dating."

"Aw, do you not like me fluffy buns?" G teased, wrapping an arm around the now hissing cat monster. "I thought we had something."

"Get your arm off me," Felix hissed, scooting further away from his friend. "I have much higher standards than you."

"And by that he means he couldn't meet anyone else's standards," Petro chipped in from your side, laughing as she sipped her drink. You couldn't help the giggle that escaped you either.

"Shut the he** up Petro!" Felix barked. "Anyway, G was my crappy neighbor."

"Our crappy neighbor," Petro pointed out, making Felix send her another glare.

"Stop interrupting," the cat monster growled. "He was always making a godawful amount of noise, and those paper thin walls did nothing to shield my poor ears."

"Our poor ears."

"Yeah yeah," Felix waved Petro off with a gloved hand.

"Were the walls really that thin?" you inquired as you ate one of the heavenly fries you ordered.

G smirked as he leaned against the table to snatch a fry from you. You didn't protest...too much. "Thin enough that I could hear BP snoring."

Petro snorted, almost spitting out her drink and you laughed along with her.

After calming yourself enough to form a sentence though, you spoke again. "I've heard you call Felix that a few times," you noted. "Why do you keep calling him BP?"

Felix groaned and banged his head into the table a few times while G got the biggest grin on his face. "Now this is a story."

 

* * *

 

 

"That was real fun," you grinned as you were about to separate off from the group. It was already 1am and Felix was pretty drunk. G had already volunteered to teleport you all home, and you were the first trip.

"Heh yeah," Petro grinned, a little more tipsy than she was at the beginning of the night. "Here, have my number, we should hangout again sometime."

You smiled and took the small paper Petro handed you and put it in your bag. "Definitely. Stay safe while you wait for G!"

"You too kid, night," Petro nodded to you before you turned to G and grabbed his hands. After making sure your eyes were closed you felt that all too familiar falling sensation before landing on some very familiar steps.

"Thanks for the teleport," you laughed, a little wobbly. "I've still gotta get used to saying that."

G smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "No problem. Night ____."

"Goodnight G."

 

* * *

 

 

The next day you woke mid afternoon without a care in the world. After planning a little game night with Alphys you got ready for the day, but didn't get much time to prepare before you got a knock on the door.

 

"we need to talk kid. no more avoiding."

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am MUCH more happy with this revised chapter, and I hope you are too.
> 
> Constructive criticism appreciated, comments encouraged.  
> Send your questions, comments, concerns and gifts to mah tumblr bruh. I've also got a tip jar if you wanna, ya'know, help a broke writer out.
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)


	11. Confrontations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans is a real prick. Who knew?
> 
> And Reader questions themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TAGS UPDATED!
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)

“Sans I’m-” you began. You were honestly just too confused and overwhelmed to deal with the stout skeleton right now. When had these feelings for G come about? Didn’t you just tell Alphys you weren’t ready for a romantic relationship? Sans didn’t let you finish your thought, as he just shoved past you and took a seat on your couch. Rude.

“no more avoiding kid,” he grunted, sitting up straighter than he usually did when he lounged on the couch. You would know, as he was usually napping on the couch when you went for cooking lessons with Papyrus. His usual blue jacket was zipped up and his hands rested in his pockets. He was by no means as relaxed as he usually was.

For a moment you just stared at him. He must not have been sleeping well because the dark circles that seemed to always line his eye sockets had grown darker. Papyrus had once told you Sans had nightmares, but you had no idea what he could be dreaming about. After all, he really didn’t do much other than his run his hotdog stand. Maybe he was working on something in his basement, a room you quickly learned was off limits to anyone but Sans. You had seen him sneaking out of that mysterious room one night at around 1am when you were getting some water. Papyrus was already passed out on the couch and you were about to join him when you saw the sneaky skeleton. When you questioned him about it he just wrote it off as his man cave and went to his room. Before you could contemplate what was keeping him up any longer, Sans patted the seat next to him, a nonvocal reminder that he had something to tell you.

After a moment's hesitation, you sighed and sat on the opposite end of the couch, eyeing him warily, “If this is about my drinking, I haven't touched any alcohol since my last...relapse. I swear.”

“naw, nothing like that kid. this is ‘bout that new friend of yours,” Sans eye sockets narrowed marginally and his grin suddenly seemed much more tense, “g right?”

“Uh yeah, you know him?” you inquired, tilting your head to the side. G hadn’t talked about anyone other than Felix that he knew from the Underground.

“yeah he and I are...related,” Sans grin dipped into the frown zone as he said this, while you just sat up straighter in surprize.

“Wait what? But Papyrus-”

“pap doesn’t know,” Sans interrupted, his left eye flashing dangerously, “and you ain’t gonna tell him.”

“Whoa whoa, hold up. Why not? He has a right to know that he has a...” you paused. “Wait, you said related. In what way?”

“monster relationships can be strange. especially ones in the family,” Sans shrugged. “but i suppose by human standards he would be considered a brother.”

“Brother?!” you gasped. You nearly jumped out of your seat to demand answers but you kept your cool. Starting a fight with Sans was not on your to-do list. “Wait, and Papyrus doesn’t know about this?”

“yeah, and like i said you’re not gonna tell ‘im,” Sans insisted. He raised a hand before you could object, “listen kid. g… or whatever he goes by now. he’s dangerous.”

You narrowed your eyes at him in suspicion. “That's a doesn’t mean a whole lot coming from the guy who’s threatened my life on several occasions.”

Sans shrugged again as a smirk grew on his teeth. “i didn’t though, did i? i never even scratched ya.”

“But still. G hasn’t given me any signs that he’s dangerous. Sure, he’s a real jerk sometimes, but it's all in good fun,” you insisted. “You sure you don't just have some sort of brother complex? I mean you did-”

“i’ll cut straight to the point,” Sans interrupted again, his tone so dark it caused you to flinch. “g, he… murdered someone a long while ago. someone close to both me and paps.”

You paused in your retort, processing that information. G killed someone? G murdered someone? “Y-you sure you don’t have the wrong guy? I mean-”

“absolutely. i promise i’m not lyin’. and i don't make promises kid,” Sans tone was serious, and didn’t carry his usual sarcastic undertones.

“Y-your a-acting like you saw him…” you trailed off, mind buzzing.

“that’s cause i did, see him that is,” Sans’ eye flashed again, and you could practically feel the magic buzzing off him. It was dangerous and you could feel your skin prickle in anticipation.“you have no idea how hard is was not to kill ‘im right then and there.”

“I-I dont understand,” you whispered, looking at your lap. “He’s b-been so nice and-”

“yeah well sometimes people aren’t who they seem to be. you should know that by now,” Sans retorted harshly before standing. “listen, i uh, know you probably still have questions but-”

“Please, just go,” you muttered, already deep in your thoughts. You needed to be alone. “I-I need to think. Just leave.”

Sans opened his mouth as if he was going to say something else, but instead just shook his head. Now was not that time. After you heard the door lock behind him, you allowed the tears that you were pushing back to fall freely. G was… no, no, he couldn’t be. You wouldn’t fall into that trap again. You weren’t that stupid.

But still... maybe you did fall for it again. Were you just a magnet to horrible people? Why couldn’t you just…

“No-” the word got caught in your throat as choked back a sob. Your hand flew to your mouth to stifle it, but nothing could hide the sorrow hanging over you.

Why?

* * *

 

G could honestly could say that his day was going pretty good. His boss hadn’t yelled at him, he got to eat lunch with you and… well the guitar thing could have gone better.

“Coulda gone a lot worse though,” he reminded himself out loud as he chopped some more vegetables for the soup he was making. Your diet of snack foods and sandwiches disgusted him, so he made a point to bring something new for lunch every day when he was able to join you. Your small shop was great in comparison to the employee break room at his… place of employment. That room was much too dirty for his standards, and his workmates diets were as bad as yours. “At least ____ is hygienic.”

Before he could dump the freshly chopped vegetables into the broth he had on the stove, he heard a knock on the door. Was that you? But that would be odd, you just left. And it couldn’t be Burgs because he always just shouted at him until he answered the door. So who was it?

He set down the chopping board he had just lifted and removed his apron. If it was someone else, there was no way he was going to let them see the disgustingly pink apron Burg had gotten him as a moving in present. He just had to choose the one color G couldn’t stand to see in large doses.

As he approached the door, he felt a strange twisting feeling in his magical gut.

“What do you wan-” he began, but he found himself being forced forward by a very familiar magic. G raised a hand to defend himself but he cursed under his breath when he found himself unable to as the magic kept its tight hold.

“heh, a little stuck there pal?” a baritone voice chuckled. The chuckle waned off when G didn’t respond. “ey, is that how you greet an old pal?”

“I don’t remember us ever being ‘pals’ Sans. Now let me go. This song and dance is getting old,” G grunted. The way Sans magic left him dangling there made him simultaneously feel like he was stuck underwater and dangling over a ravine. It didn’t help that he could practically taste Sans’s violent intent. G almost sighed in relief when Sans released his hold, but his dignity didn’t allow it. He did manage to land on his feet though, which was a small blessing.

“rude,” Sans replied in mock offense. After he dusted himself off G turned to face the strangely threatening shorter skeleton.

“I thought you agreed not to threaten me as long as I left you and your family alone,” G questioned, his rough voice harsh. His day was going so well and then this prick...

“yeah, well you’re not keeping to your side of the deal, are ya?” Sans accused, tilting his head.

“I dunno what you-”

“you know exactly what i’m talking about...g is it now?” Sans questioned, his tone mocking, “at least you’re not a filthy name thief now.”

“It isn’t my fault that Gast-” G began, but was quickly cut off by Sans raising a hand. The shorter skeletons magic gripped G’s spinal cord right where his neck would be if he were human. While he didn’t need to breath, it was still very constricting and panic inducing. It also brought back some very dark memories that G would have rather not remembered.

“don't you dare say his name. dad didn’t know what he was doin’ and you knew that,” Sans practically growled. For a moment G hung in Sans’s magic’s grip, unable to do anything but wait for the vengeful skeleton to release him. Sans eye flared as he glared daggers into G, but after a moment he released him. “listen i know the kid’s their own person and can make their own god da** decisions, but you ain’t doing ‘em any favors by stickin’ around.”

“What’re you talking about?” G barked, his stance defensive as he protected his small apartment.

“the kid hasn’t had all that great experiences in the past with people they let get close,” Sans shrugged, closing an eye socket in an almost lazy manner. But G knew better than to think Sans was getting lazy. His left eye was still open wide, trained on him.

“I haven’t heard anything like that.”

“yeah well the kid isn’t so open with people. listen, all i’m sayin’ is that you’re doing the kid more harm than good sticking around. they didn’t tell me this directly, but I could tell by their expression that they didn’t approve of what you did,” Sans taunted as his grin turned wicked. G could feel his soul strain in panic.

“You didn’t,” G murmered, feeling his own anger build up. He pushed it back down though. A confrontation in a tight apartment building hallway would not turn out well for any parties involved. G couldn’t help the flare in his eye though as he watched Sans grin widen even futher. How dare he get involved in G’s business. How dare he ruin another relationship?

“ey they had a right to know. after all, you are a   **d i r t y  f a t h e r   k i l l e r**.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Constructive criticism appreciated, comments encouraged.  
> Send your questions, comments, concerns and gifts to mah tumblr bruh. I've also got a tip jar if you wanna, ya'know, help a broke writer out.
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)


	12. Advice from an Old Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader has a bad time and Toriel helps them out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)

When you woke the next morning, you almost decided to not get up. The numbness that followed such an emotionally exhausting night left you almost lethargic. Sans dropped a huge emotional bombshell on you last night didn’t even stick around for the aftermath. Not that you would have wanted him to anyways. You preferred dealing with your problems yourself. No need to get others involved, especially when it was with an issue as sensitive as this.

You felt betrayed and confused. Why would G murder someone? Sans's father at that,  _ his _ father. Sure, you could understand rough family but to go as far as murder...

Regardless of how horrible you felt (and probably looked), you still had work. Your dear customers had done nothing and didn’t deserve to be left out in the cold just because you were having a bad day.

So, you forced yourself up. Foregoing a shower, you grabbed some baggy pants and a cozy sweater. You needed all the comfort you could get today.

Eating was rough as the only thing you had in your near empty fridge was some leftovers from the last meal you shared with G. After skipping dinner last night though, you're crying stomach demanded something, and you really didn't have room to complain. 

Normally you would take your time with eating, but today you tried to eat the leftovers as quickly as possible before heading out. Your walk to work was slow going and quiet. While usually you would enjoy quiet days like these, today was different. Maybe attitude makes a difference after all.

Lunch was also weighing on your mind. G had made it a habit to come into the shop and eat with you when he could. This became a thing after he scoped out your fridge. You were moderately surprised to find he was a slight food snob, but you really didn’t mind. His cooking was great and honestly, who were you to turn down a free meal.

Facing G today would be awkward at best trauma inducing at worst. You almost found yourself hoping that something would happen today that would make him postpone. 

After entering your shop you did your routine check of your stock. It seemed like you didn’t really need to order any new books, which wouldn’t have mattered much in the long run as your bank account was by no means weeping. You felt satisfied with the status of your shop after your brief check, so you took a seat behind your desk.

Maybe you could get back to that novel you were trying to finish.

The day hadn’t been horrible per say but it certainly wasn’t your best. Just like you had wished earlier, G didn’t come in for lunch. You almost felt bad but you knew that it couldn’t have been  your fault. Something must have come up at work. You learned quickly that his boss wasn’t the nicest of fellows, but the job paid well so who was G to complain?

You insisted that a toxic work environment wasn’t healthy, but he shrugged it off. The subject was dropped after that but you couldn’t help but worry.

The day had been so quiet that you allowed your mind to wander to places you swore you wouldn’t go back to when you moved to the city. This situation was just too much like your previous one, except this time you were sober. Your regulars seemed to sense your solemn mood and kept their chit chat to a minimum. You both appreciated and resented the gesture. Putting out your customers was not something you wanted to do, ever.

When you got home, you were in need of a long bath. You felt horrible and you were pretty sure you looked horrible too. When you were going through your cupboards looking for that bubble bath Papyrus gave you so long ago, you found some of those bath salts Alphys gave you awhile back so you put those in your bath too. With the overflowing bubbles and the nice, scented, salts you were eager to get in.

After stripping down and turning on some music to clear the silence, you submerged yourself with a sigh. This wasn't so bad.

And maybe Sans was wrong. Maybe Sans saw another skeleton, or at least another monster, kill his dad. And as you continued to rationalize, you realized even more inconsistencies. Why wouldn't Papyrus know? Did Paps just think he didn't have a dad? And how do you not notice you have a brother? Maybe Papyrus did know about G, but covered it up with his oblivious facade. He was much more observant than he let on, and his strangely sexual jokes proved that.

Why did this have to be so complicated?

* * *

 

After that long, relaxing soak, you felt much better than before. A nice rinse off and some cozy clothes later, you found yourself heading to the living room to watch some TV. You passed through the kitchen on the way there and paused. You slowly turned and stared at the small cabinet above the fridge. Just out of reach for you to be able to access it without really trying. Your tip toes did the trick as you managed to open it and get a look at the contents.

A new, shiny bottle of wine sat there, unopened. You kept it around for special occasions, at least that was what you told yourself when you saw it.

There wouldn't be any harm in one glass right? One glass of wine...that actually sounded pretty good right now. Besides, there wasn't even that much alcohol in one glass! Reassured, you reached to grab it, but were startled by a knock on the door. You abandoned the kitchen and approached the door cautiously. Maybe it was Sans or...G. You steeled yourself for a confrontation and opened it. It was neither of the skeletons, it was Toriel

"Hello my dear! I just made some pie and I though- are you alright?" she inquired. In her large, furry hands she held a steamed pie case, probably with pie fresh out of the oven. She quirked her head and softened her eyes in concern as she leaned forward to inspect you.

You laughed hesitantly, "I-I'm fine Tori. Just a bad day."

" May I-may I come in?" she asked, hesitant but firm. "Perhaps we can enjoy a slice together and...talk."

For a moment you just stood there, slouched in the doorway. No doubt you were clean, especially after that bath, but your face must have looked like crap. You caught a glimpse of it after your soak, and your poor eyes were lined with dark circles. You did feel slightly embarrassed, being in such homebody clothes while Toriel was dressed for the day, but regardless you opened the door a little wider. An invitation. 

She gave you a small, happy smile before stepping inside your humble abode. You trailed behind her as she lead you to the kitchen, but froze when you noticed your mistake. You left the cabinet open. Toriel's eyes seemed to immediately snap to the offending space, but she didn't comment. Insead she bumped it closed gently and got to work slicing the pie. 

Meanwhile you poured yourself and her some water, slightly mortified you were caught. After she finished you both entered the living room and took a seat on the couch.

"Here you go my dear. I cooked it with fire magic so it should help with your...bad day," she reassured gently as she handed you your slice.

You took a moment to take a deep breath. It smelled delicious. Taking a small bite, you tasted it hesitantly, know the goat monster was known for her snail pies. Delicious and, thankfully, snail free. You hummed in contentment as you took another, larger bite. It was delicious but there was something about it. Something familiar. "Is this...my grandmother's recipe?"

"Ah yes!" Toriel nodded, a wide grin overtaking her face. "I'm glad you noticed. I wanted to see what you thought!"

"Its-its good," you stuttered as you stared down at your plate. You could feel the emotions bubbling up in you as you set your plate down. "Tori I-"

Toriel quickly closed the distance between the two of you, pulling you into a soft, warm hug. You clutched the front of her shirt like a child as you tried to even your breathing. It was then that you noticed the tears running down your face, and how badly you were shaking. For a while, Toriel held you like that, gently rocking you and humming an unfamiliar tune. After a few moments of this, you took a shaky breath and leaned back to face her.

"How-how did you deal with Asgore? With how he k-killed those children?" you whispered as you wiped your tear stained cheeks. She gently removed your hands and wiped them for you before answering your question.

"May I ask why you're asking this my child?" she questioned. But when you didn't respond she sighed and answered your question. "Well...I ran away. Though if I'm being honest with myself I have grown to regret that."

"Why?" you muttered, leaning into her. Her fluffy, pink and purple coat seemed to suck you in. She trailed a hand gently through your hair in a reassuring, motherly gesture.

"Running from your problems," Toriel began, "well it doesn't solve anything. While it is easy, it does not make anything better in the long run."

"Why didn't you go back then?" you questioned.

She just chuckled, "I was stubborn and young. Asgore and I had never gotten in a disagreement of that proportion before and..."

She paused and took a shaky breath. Looking up at her in concern, you told her she didn't need to continue if she didn't want to, but she rejected your offer.

"No, I suppose I have to talk about this eventually. When I left Asgore, I grieved for him just like I did for my children. Just like I did for-" she paused, a confused expression passing over her face before she sighed. "Regardless, I left and he continued to do all those...horrible things."

You let her calm down for a moment before pressing on, "Do you think you could ever forgive him?"

"I-" she stopped short. Taking a deep breath though, she trudged on, "I...dont know. I could never condone his actions. Killing those children that...that was an act of a coward. It was not something the man I married would do. But at the same time I...I find myself longing for him. It is so hard, loving someone you..."

"Hate?" you chipped in, but she just shook her head.

"No...I do not think you can hate something you love. There is an old saying, 'Love conquers all.', and I suppose that applies even when you don't want it to," she exhaled and looked at you. "Is there a reason you are asking all this my dear?"

You thought about telling her, but ultimately decided against it, "Later. I'll tell you another time. Are you...are you going to get back together with him? Do you think you could ever bring yourself to?"

At this question, Toriel paused in her brushing a long while. She looked very conflicted, but finally she answered, "I do not think I could have him back right now. He has to prove to me he's trying to be better. And with Frisk he's...making progress. I suppose with time comes forgiveness, but we'll see."

After she finished, silence filled the room. Taking a shaky breath, you hugged the motherly monster tight before separating fully. Looking up at her, you smiled shakily, "Thank you Tori, for-for everything."

* * *

 

That night, before you went to bed, you steeled yourself and sent out a text. You hoped you wouldn't regret this later.

**(____)**

_ >We need to talk. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Toriel is such a momma bear, amiright?
> 
> Constructive criticism appreciated, comments encouraged.  
> Send your questions, comments, concerns and gifts to mah tumblr bruh. I've also got a tip jar if you wanna, ya'know, help a broke writer out.
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)


	13. The Great Papyrus's Very Bad Mood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Great Papyrus was at his wits end with his brother, and this is why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)

**The Great Papyrus's Very Bad Mood**

Papyrus was at his wits end with his brother. 

Now this was an odd thing, because Papyrus was generally a very understanding and kind skeleton. He endured his brothers horrible puns, picked up after him, made sure he took care of himself, and even did all the cooking! But really, there was only so much the poor skeleton could take before he snapped.

Papyrus loved Sans very very much, never mistake that. Sans was actually one of Papyrus's most important people! Besides himself of course. And honestly Papyrus had been getting increasingly worried for his brother.

Sans was lazy, as lazy as they came, but he seemed to be working himself too hard since they breached the surface. Sure, he took naps twice as much as he usually did, but he now spent much more time working to make sure they had a roof over their head and a savings for the future. An even larger amount of Sans's time was spent in that infernal basement that Papyrus was forbidden to enter. 

Usually Papyrus would take that rule and run with it, after all it was Sans's space. But really, what could be so important that Sans spent almost all of his nights down there? 

Sans thought that Papyrus didn't notice his nightly routine, but he did. The bedtime story Sans read him had become much less effective as Papyrus grew older, so he often found himself lying awake at night. Often on these nights, he heard Sans moving around downstairs, but rarely heard him actually go to his room and sleep. Usually Mr. Cool (his very cool cat) would help him sleep on those nights but Papyrus couldn't help but worry.

What irritated Papyrus about the situation was that Sans refused to tell him anything, and even denied staying up late. The tall skeleton was not a big fan of lying, and actually found it a little worrying that Sans denied it. Acceptance was the first step to recovery after all! But that worry soon turned into irritation, which turned into resentment as Papyrus realized why Sans wasn't telling him anything. He wanted to protect him.

And this frustrated Papyrus to no end.

He could take care of himself, and didn't need his older brother protecting him from 'himself' or another ridiculous reason like that. Sans was so secretive and it worried Papyrus.

And very recently, he noticed something wrong with his human friend too. Not the small human, the slightly-larger human. They didn't respond to his good morning text! And they did not text him back about his beach spaghetti invitation. Something must have been wrong, and he had an inkling that Sans had something to do with it.

The tall skeleton was not a fan of accusing people of things, in fact he saw the best in everyone! He had a firm belief that anyone could change for the better if they tried. Unfortunately though, poor Papyrus was at his wits end with his brother, and the issue with his friend was the straw that broke the skeletons spine. 

The first thing that Sans did that seriously irritated Papyrus was insisting on magi-claiming the entire house, including Papyrus's room. Papyrus was completely fine with him claiming the house, Sans was the one paying rent after all. He got very irked though that Sans didn't think he could claim his own room. He was a grown skeleton for Asgore's sake! And his magic was very developed and strong thank you very much. Now everytime Papyrus went in his room he felt that annoying itch at the back of his senses that Sans's magic left. 

Having his own bedroom magi-claimed for him like he was a child. How embarrassing.

The second thing Sans did was insist that Papyrus text him at regular intervals during the day. Papyrus felt like he was a child with a curfew! While he could understand to a degree Sans's fear, he was, once again, a grown skeleton! He could protect himself against humans who didn't mean any good toward him. 

Did Sans think he was so stupid as to fall for some bad humans' japes? Sure, there was that incident with the grocer...but that wasn't the point! Papyrus learned his lesson and was therefore free from those mistakes!

And now it was this situation! Sans was much too harsh on his poor human friend. They had been through alot and did not need Sans badgering them constantly about their drinking problems. Papyrus never saw the appeal of the bitter drink, but apparently it had a strange effect on people. He had seen Sans drink before, back in the Underground. He had been so out of sorts that Papyrus had to carry him home. After a few more drunken nights Papyrus chastised Grillby and set a limit for Sans. 

So really, Sans didn't have any place to judge the poor human. He didn't care much though and judged them anyways, just like he did with anyone he met. Sans did have an odd way of seeing a person's Stats without the person's permission, but really! His human friend had no LV, no EXP, and had a completely fine soul! Not that Papyrus had seen it, that would be rather scandalous. But he had been told by Toriel, who also had a very good soul-sense.

So, Sans must have had something to do with his friends apparent unhappiness! Plus he left at a mysteriously precise time, a time when he knew his friend would be getting home, as they had texted him.

And that was how Papyrus got to his wits end with his brother, and this is how he expressed it.

 

"You are not getting any of my special spaghetti tonight, so don't even ask!" Papyrus announced when Sans entered the kitchen. It had been two days since the offending skeleton hurt his friend, and Papyrus was not going to stand for it. Stirring a little more vigorously than necessary (at least that's what the humans on the mysterious "You-tubes" said) Papyrus huffed.

"wow bro, hurtful. what'd i do? because im sure it's a mis-punderstanding," Sans replied, his grin a little more annoying than usual.

"Now that was a stretch and you know it!" Papyrus grumbled. As he did so he took a noodle from the boiling water and threw it at his brother. It stuck. Oh, the pasta was done. "And you know exactly what you did!"

Sans quietly picked the noodle off his face and made to eat it, but Papyrus snatched it out of his hand before he could.

"I said no spaghetti!" Papyrus reiterated, draining the noodles. "And that includes undone not yet spaghetti spaghetti."

"you're so cruel bro," Sans sighed, leaning against the fridge to Papyrus's right. "but seriously, what did i do? is it the sock? 'cause im not moving that."

"No its not the-" Papyrus cut himself off, huffing again as he tasted the sauce. Needed more salt. "You hurt my human friend's feelings!"

The grin on Sans's face dropped by half a centimeter, but he shrugged again, trying to play it off. "naw, frisk is fine. jus' took 'em to the park for tori actually."

"Not that human!" Papyrus grunted, trying to focus on the task at hand. "Sans, the other human friend. ___?"

"oh, uh them," Sans rolled his shoulders and put his hands in his pockets. Papyrus knew this was a tell tale sign he was nervous. "nah, i didn't do anything to 'em. whatcha talking about?"

"I'm not nearly as obvious as you think I am Sans," Papyrus complained, tasting the sauce again. Perfect. "You went to go talk to them the other day. And after they have been unusually quiet. What did you tell them?"

"okay you got me," Sans surrendered. He didn't removed his hands from his pockets however. "i went to go talk to the kid. but its fine. they're fine."

"Sans, we both know they are not fine. Now just tell me what you told them!" Papyrus demanded, stirring the sauce and the noodles together.

"pap, its not that big of deal it-" Sans began, but Papyrus cut him off.

"Well if it's not that big of deal, you can tell me! Normally I don't pry into your little secrets Sans, but this regards a mutual friend," Papyrus sighed and set down the large stirring spoon he was using. Turning, he faced Sans and gave him a small frown, or at least, as much of a frown as he could manage with his jaw. "Sans, I'm not a child anymore."

"ah com'on bro, you know i dont-" Sans began, but was interrupted once again by his brother.

"Just tell me Sans. I'm sure I can handle it," Papyrus insisted, leaning forward.

Sans studied Papyrus with that look. That look that told of his age and showed a strange tiredness Papyrus could not identify the origin of. For a moment Papyrus almost got hopeful, but Sans and shook his head, "i-i just can't bro."

Papyrus deflated and turned around. Taking a small tupperware from the cabinet, he stayed quiet as he filled it with the fresh spaghetti. He then took the small container and put his bright orange jacket on over his cool skeleton shirt. "Well if you're not going to tell me, then I guess I'm just going to have to ask them."

"papyrus, dont," Sans warned, reaching toward the already retreating form of his brother.

"Sans, I'm sorry but I'm not a baby bones anymore, and I can go and see whoever I want whenever I want," Papyrus replied oddly formally. He slipped on his shoes and grabbed his keys before going to open the door.

A small hand on his arm made him pause. Turning, he faced Sans, who looked pleadingly at him. "please paps. i'm sorry but please dont."

Papyrus didn't give himself time to feel guilty. He coldly shrugged off the hand before exiting the apartment. Human friend here he come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //exits stage right
> 
> Constructive criticism appreciated, comments encouraged.  
> Send your questions, comments, concerns and gifts to mah tumblr bruh. I've also got a tip jar if you wanna, ya'know, help a broke writer out.
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)


	14. Radio Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> G is unusually quiet so you decide to see what's up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHOO CHOO
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)

The morning after your talk with Toriel you still hadn't gotten a text from G. You could see why your text could seem vaguely threatening so you elaborated on it. You explained that Sans told you something that you needed to get his side of. After sending out that longish text, you finally headed to work. Thankfully you slept well the previous night with Toriel's advice in mind. While you didn't have any noteworthy dreams you didn't have any nightmares either, so who were you to complain?

You decided you were going to confront G about the whole situation before you made any judgements. While you weren't the best at confrontation, you decided that that was the best course of action after seeing how regretful Toriel was. You knew that if you never found out the truth it would weight on your mind. You would regret throwing away such great friendship just because of a misunderstanding.

G didn't respond though, not even with a 'k' or a 'why?'. The whole day you sat behind your desk and pondered what could have happened to the skeleton. He couldn't be avoiding you...could he? After all, he didn't know you knew something. Or did he? Sans may have made a house call to G after he left your house so it was completely probable. Considering the low regard Sans seemed to hold G it was actually reasonable to assume that Sans went to G's house after yours. He did seem to have somewhere to go.

There was just one problem with this assumption though. If he knew you knew, why wasn't he contacting you trying to explain? While G didn't seem like the most open person on the planet, most people would want to clear up something like this. Maybe something did happen to him, or he lost his phone. Regardless there was only one course of action. Going to his apartment.

And so, that evening right after work, you ran home to get your car. Since his apartment was deeper in the city than your shop was you didn't feel safe walking, especially so late at night. No way you were going to make that mistake again. The only downside to driving was the evening traffic that always seemed to plague the city.

You decided you were going to make the most of it though. So as you constantly decreased and increased your speed as traffic moved, you thought about the words you were going to use. This was a pretty sensitive situation after all, and you didn't want to offend him.

"Hi G! How have you been doing?" you spoke aloud. "No that's too cheerful. Obviously he hasn't been doing well if he hasn't gotten back to me."

"Hey G. So uh, Sans tells me you killed his father. Your father actually, because he also claims you two are related. What's that all about?" you tried again, but scoffed after finishing. "Way too casual for something like this. Why does this have to be so difficult?"

You spent the rest of your long ride pondering what you were going to say. Unfortunately you weren't able to come up with anything by the time you got to his building, so you had no choice but to wing it. Hopefully you could come up with the right words on the spot. The stairs up to his floor seemed to take longer than usual, but you suspected that was only because you were dragging your feet a bit. This was not going to be fun. Finally though you made it to his door and hesitantly knocked.

You shuffled in place as you heard movement from within the apartment. Hopefully he would answer. Why wouldn't he though? When you heard the doorknob turning you straightened yourself out and even attempted a smile, but the effort fell a bit short.

That fake smile of yours dropped into a blatant frown when you saw the condition of your friend. He was still wearing his work uniform, covered in oil smears. Usually he would make sure to change as soon as he got home because 'it was so disgusting to wear such dirty clothing,' so this was odd in of itself. He looked very tired as well if the dark circles under his eye sockets were any indication. The biggest surprize to you though was the cigarette in his teeth. You had never seen him smoke before.

"Whaddya want?" he questioned, but his irritated expression fell when his fuzzy eye lights focused on you. Immediately he straightened and took the cigarette out. He blankly stared at you, which left you two in an awkward silence.

"Uh, hi G. Can I-can I come in?' You stuttered nervously. After a moment's hesitation he nodded and opened the door wider for you. You followed slowly behind him, and took seat on the couch. After setting your keys on the coffee table and adjusting yourself, you spoke. "I didn't know you smoked."

"I don't usually. It's not unhealthy for me, I don't have any lungs to pollute. But uh, I do get the nicotine," G stiffly explained. "Do you want something to drink or-"

"Sure," you replied a bit too quickly. A soft blush covered your cheeks when you realized your mistake. "Um, sure if you don't mind. Water would be good.  And uh, you can change if you want to. I know how much you hate to be, um, dirty."

"Yeah, I think I will," G nodded. Standing, he first handed you a glass of water before going into  his room to change. You sighed in relief when he did and took the opportunity to look around the apartment. It was messier than usual, far messier than G would ever let it get under normal circumstances. And were those...boxers in the corner there? With flowers on them?

When you heard the bedroom door opening again you whipped your head around and took a large drink of your water. You could feel your cheeks burning scarlet but decided to play it off as if it were nothing. Suddenly the floor was far more interesting than before. When you felt the couch shift, you took a deep breath and turned toward G. He had changed into a soft blue turtleneck and some jeans. Comfortable and clean, just like G.

"So um," you began, setting the glass on the coffee table. You turned your body to fully face G and fiddled with your hands in your lap. "Sans visited me a few nights ago and told me some...things about you."

"I've been told," G replied roughly. His whole demeanor was tense as he sat ramrod straight.

"O-oh, um," you stuttered. You had suspected as such but...you were hoping your suspicions weren't true. "You two really are brothers?"

"By soul, yeah," G confirmed. "As you can probably tell though, he isn't a big fan of me."

"He told me-" you began, but cut yourself short. After taking a deep breath you continued. "He told me you killed his father. Your father. Is that...true?"

G didn't respond right away, his eye sockets closing in an almost pained expression before they opened again.. His normally lit up sockets were dark in a sedated anger. "That scientist will never be my father."

"Sorry, I just want to know what happened and-" you began, but G cut you off. You almost jumped in surprize at his harsh tone.

"Is it really any of your business kid?" he barked, the normally endearing nickname stinging you.

"Well I'd like to know your side of the story," you muttered, turning your face away. "I'm sure you had a reason, I just want to know what it was."

"Ol' Doctor Gaster wasn't as straight laced as most people saw him alright?" G snapped, his hands gripping the couch. "Not that you would understand. You probably had a peachy childhood. Just like Sans."

"Oh my goodness G! I didn't kno-" you started, eyes wide. His defensiveness made sense all of a sudden. But unknown to him, you could understand. G cut you off before you could empathize with him though, his dark stare harsh.

"Yeah of course you didn't know," he laughed harshly. "Sheltered kids never do."

A spike of anger coursed through your veins as you stood from the couch quickly, sending G a sharp glare. "Don't you ever assume I had it easy! Abuse is one thing but abandonment can be horrible too!"

G's eye sockets widened and he reached for you, "W-wait I didn't mean-"

You slapped his hand away, causing him to flinch back. "Yeah well, sure did sound like it."

Without another word you left his apartment, slamming the door behind you. Taking a deep breath once in the hall, you marched your way down the stairwell and into the cool night air before you realized something. You forgot your keys.

"Of all the times-" you muttered under your breath. No way you were going to go back up there. Taking out your phone you quickly called Papyrus.

"Human friend! I was just on the way to meet you!" he declared joyfully. You forced a smile onto your face to make yourself sound a bit more cheerful. Papyrus didn't deserve your anger.

"Good, uh, would you mind picking me up from," you read him the apartment complexes street and address. "I lost my keys."

"Of course human friend! Stay safe!" he responded before hanging up. You sighed and leaned against the building. The alleyway next to you smelled like garbage, which was a strangely accurate smell for your mood right now.

"I wonder how long Papyrus will take to get here?" you wondered aloud. You didn't get to wonder anything else however, because just after you said that something hard slammed into your head. You didn't even get a chance to shout before you passed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes G wears flower boxers.   
> Yes I came up with that because of the theory that he painted the flowers onto the guitar himself.
> 
> Constructive criticism appreciated, comments encouraged.  
> Send your questions, comments, concerns and gifts to mah tumblr bruh. I've also got a tip jar if you wanna, ya'know, help a broke writer out.
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)


	15. Unsavory Ruffians

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Papyrus shakes it off, and Sans does something helpful for once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)

**Unsavory Ruffians**

"BABY I'M JUST GONNA SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE! SHAKE IT OFF, I SHAKE IT OFF!" Papyrus sang loudly with the radio. Oh how he loved this song! It was very upbeat and happy, just like him! Well, he wasn't all that happy right now, after all he was about to confront his friend about something. But this song helped his soul calm down from his irritation. He was glad he turned on the radio today instead of listening to one of his CDs!

Perhaps he would make Sans some spaghetti when he got home as an apology for being so aloof? Really, it was unbecoming of him to be so rude. Just as he was about to purge all those negative thoughts with some more Taylor Swift, his phone rang. Quickly he turned off his radio and answered it. He, of course, put it on speaker. After all, proper vehicle safety was important.

"Hello?" he asked. When he heard his friend's voice on the other side his immediately perked up. "Human friend! I was just on the way to meet you!"

Their voice sounded oddly strained as they explained they needed to be picked up at some apartment building on the other side of the city. Papyrus knew that the side they were talking about was a bit rough, so he requested that they stay safe before hanging up. After a moment of glancing around quietly, he turned back on the radio.

There was no reason he couldn't enjoy himself. This was his dream after all. The thing he spent so long in the underground waiting for. Driving down a highway with the wind in his hair...

"AND THE FELLA OVER THERE WITH THE HELLA GOOD HAIR-"

This song spoke to him.

 

This was the apartment his friend directed him to, right? The street was oddly unpopulated and the building loomed overhead ominously. Papyrus wasn't a big fan of tall buildings, they always seemed strangely structurally unsound. That was why he always avoided going to the CORE. Standing perilously over a sea of lava? No thank you.

Honestly though, where was his friend? Turning off the radio that was blaring obnoxiously from his speakers, he listened for any odd noises. But he didn't hear any-

Wait. What was that?

Parking his car along the side of the road, Papyrus jumped out and cautiously approached the alleyway next to the building. He could hear low voices coming from it and a dull thudding noise. Peeking around the side of the building, Papyrus gasped. 

There was his friend, beaten and bruised, lying unconscious on the grimy alleyway ground. There were two, no three, thugs standing around them. One was holding a bat, which judging by the blood on it, was not used for baseball. The other one that was causing his friend pain was wearing some brass knuckles. The last one was probably supposed to be on lookout, but was seemingly enjoying the show too much to notice him.

Papyrus, acting quickly, used his blue magic to increase the gravity on the thugs, effectively making them sit down firmly. 

"Ey! What the hell!" the one with the bat shouted. Papyrus marched over to the man and plucked the bat out of the assailant's hands.

"Its one of those freaks they were hangin' with!" the one with the brass knuckles accused. Papyrus ignored their scornful remarks and focused on his poor friend instead. It was worse than he feared. Just green magic wasn't going to be able to heal all of these wounds. Papyrus hurriedly got out his phone and called emergency services. They told him to stay put but...Sans would be able to get them to the hospital much faster than their ambulance.

After they told him the police were on the way, Papyrus ignored their insistence that he stayed on the line and instead called his brother.

"yo, you make it to their place al'ight paps?" Sans questioned.

"No time brother! Please come to," Papyrus quickly told him the address of the apartment building. "Our friend is hurt!"

When Sans didn't respond, Papyrus was tempted to yell at him again, but stopped short when he heard footsteps from behind. Turning around, Papyrus saw Sans approaching. "what happened?"

"I don't know! I assume these humans are to blame however," Papyrus explained in a rush, sending said humans a disapproving glare. "Please open a cut to the hospital! And if you could, stay with these ruffians until the police arrive. They should be here soon."

"sure paps, i'll keep 'em company," Sans chuckled darkly, his pupils almost nonexistent. Hopefully Sans would leave them intact, but they weren't the ones that needed medical attention...at least at the moment. As Sans made the cut, Papyrus quickly and gently picked up his fallen friend. They groaned in pain at the shift, but that reassured Papyrus that they were still alive. Unfortunately when he picked up his friend he had to drop his hold on the assailants. When he did,, one of them made for the bat, but Sans quickly replaced Papyrus's magic. "heh, don't worry guys, i'll keep ya company while we wait for your rides. i'd hate for anything to happen to ya."

Instead of scolding Sans for his sarcastic tone, Papyrus stepped through the cut.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short and Papyrus-y.
> 
> Constructive criticism appreciated, comments encouraged.  
> Send your questions, comments, concerns and gifts to mah tumblr bruh. I've also got a tip jar if you wanna, ya'know, help a broke writer out.
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)


	16. Broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You wake up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)

When you woke you did so slowly. At first, it was a general consciousness, a vague understanding that you were awake. It was rather relaxing actually, that in between state between the waking world and sleep. After a while in this calm state though, you began to register how uncomfortable your body was. It wasn't pain, no, but more like your muscles were taut.

Opening your eyes slowly, you also registered the drowsy feeling that overcame you, and the sense that everything was fine. You were fine.

"Hello (Sir/Ma'am), I'm Judy, your nurse. Can you say something for me?" a kind voice questioned from your right side. Turning your head lazily, you saw a young woman in a white uniform. That was when you noticed how white everything was. Were you in a...hospital?

"Y-yes?" you responded shakily. Your voice cracked slightly but the nurse didn't seem to mind.

"Good," the woman smiled. "I'm going to ask you a few questions to make sure you're doing alright okay? You got hit on the head pretty hard."

"I-I did?" you questioned. The moments leading up to the hospital were kind of fuzzy, but you did now recall something hitting you. "Okay."

"What's your first and last name dear?" Judy asked.

"____ ____," you responded right away. The next few questions were easy. Who was the president? What year was it? What was your mother's name? Where did you live?

"Good, it doesn't seem like you've suffered from any memory loss. And you weren't out too long if that's what you're worried about dear. You started to wake up while we were stitching you up actually, but passed out again because of the pain. We put you on some stuff for that," Judy explained. "Luckily it looks like you have a pretty hard head because you didn't sustain any devastating injuries to the head when you were knocked out. Your attackers seemed to be more focused on the...other parts of you."

"How did I get here?" you questioned. It was really hard to think on whatever they put you on, and in all honesty you really wanted a nap. Understanding why you were here seemed to be higher priority though.

"Your friend...Papaya? brought you in. We had to send him home though, visiting hours are over," Judy smiled softly. "Would you like some water before going back to sleep dear?"

"What time is it?" you questioned. You couldn't see a clock anywhere, but you did see it was rather dark outside the window.

"Around 9 at night," Judy replied as she grabbed a water bottle that was already sitting on your side table. "Here you go."

Shoot did water feel good on your dry throat. It didn't hurt too bad, but it did feel like you just took a hike and didn't have access to water the whole time. After gulping down what you needed, you set it back on the side table and turned back to Judy. "Thank you. I'm pretty tired can I...sleep before you tell me what exactly happened? I feel like the police should be here too?"

"Why yes. We made sure to contact them about your injuries, and told them you probably wouldn't want visitors until the morning. Have a good rest dear," Judy smiled before pulling the curtain a little more to block your view of the hallway. After you heard the door click behind her you relaxed into the pillow. Your non dominant side felt strangely immobile but you ignored it as you drifted off.

The last thing that passed through your mind before you fell asleep again was if your phone survived.

* * *

 

The next day when you awoke, your mind was much less fogged than the day before. They must have decreased the pain medications because you could feel a faint soreness that covered your entire body. Rumbling, your stomach complained of its lack of food, and that was when you remember you didn't end up getting to dinner.

Looking around you, you saw the nurse call button to your side and pressed it gently. While you waited for the nurse you finally looked down at your non dominant hand and realized why you weren't able to move it earlier. Your whole arm was in a pure white cast. Soon after you noticed your arm, Judy came back in, carrying what looked like a tray of average breakfast foods. Eggs, a hash brown, some toast, some sausage and some orange juice.

"Need something to eat?" she questioned with a smile. You nodded guiltily and immediately dug into the items that you liked while she talked. It was kind of awkward eating with only one arm, but you made do. At least your hand was free. "The police will be here soon, they called this morning about you. Would you be willing to have guests?"

Swallowing the food in your mouth, you used the napkin to try to save at least a bit of your dignity and nodded. "Yeah. Uh, can I get a description of my injuries now?"

"Of course! It should be all on your patient sheet," Judy assured, walking over to the clipboard that was hanging near your bed. Plucking it off the bed, she skimmed over it before speaking to you. "Well, as you have probably noticed, your arm was broken. We did set it last night though, so you should recover normally from that. You've also probably noticed your breathing is a little strained? A few of your ribs were fractured. You also had to get stitches on your other arm, your lip, and some on your stomach. You got pretty banged up."

You chuckled humorously, but you found that only caused a slightly sharp pain in your chest. That must have been the ribs.

Judy didn't get to say much more though, because soon afterwards two policemen walked in; a man and a woman.

"Are you..." the man started, before looking at his papers. "____?"

You nodded in response. The man looked rather bored honestly, and the woman standing next to him looked very tired.

This wasn't going to be fun.

* * *

 

You were correct, the police interview was not fun at all. They asked you a bunch of questions such as 'Why were you out so late?' and 'Were you planning on pressing charges if they were found?' In all honesty, the last question was a bit hard for you. Court sessions could be long and hard but...if it got those guys off the streets.

"And you do hang out with monsters, correct?" the man questioned, with not very well concealed disgust. It sounded like he was asking you if you were hanging out with a gang or something.

"Yes," you answered patiently. Honestly, getting in trouble with the police was the last thing you needed.

"This is probably related to the other attacks," the woman concluded. During the interview Judy had gotten them both coffee, which helped the woman's mood greatly.

"Probably. A pain in the a** if you ask me," the man sighed. Turning to you again, he got your phone number in case anything developed and left without another word.

"Sorry for the stress hun. Is the pain getting a little harder to handle?" Judy questioned. You nodded weakly. "I'll give you a little more of the pain medication, but not as much as yesterday. You shouldn't be in as much pain as then anyways."

"The police are probably under a lot of stress from all the violence lately," you sighed. "I'm not surprised that some of them are not big fans of monsters."

"You're too nice hun," Judy laughed, her braided, dark hair moving with her shoulders. "Would you like any guests?"

"Sure, if they come," you shrugged weakly.

Judy chuckled, "Hun, they've been waiting all morning."

"Hey Tori," you smiled, your eyes half lidded. The pain medication made you feel a little drowsy like yesterday.

Said goat monster looked absolutely exhausted. Poor woman had dark circles under her soft brown eyes, and even her kind smile seemed strained. Gripped in her hands was a purse, the large purple one you saw with her all the time. Also with her was her darling child, Frisk. The kid, while not nearly as tired looking as their mother, looked worried.

"My dear," Toriel sighed, crossing the room quickly and hugging you gently over the bed. It was then that Judy took her leave, telling you softly that if you needed her, just to press the call button.

"Frisky bits too? To what do I owe this honor?" you joked, holding out your casted arm to the child. "Mind signing it? A bit of a tradition. Plus maybe I can sell it and make some money someday."

Frisk giggled and nodded eagerly, before looking questioningly at their mother. Toriel nodded, and watched as they ran out of the room to find a marker.

"Are you doing okay?" Toriel questioned, looking you up and down. The fact that you hadn't showed since the incident came to mind, but it was just a passing thought.

"As well as I can be with a few fractured ribs and a broken arm," you chuckled. At seeing her pained expression though, you nodded. "The stuff they've got me on helps a lot."

"I heard, is it-" Toriel began, looking at the IV line with concern. You interrupted before she could say anymore.

"I doubt they would put someone with a history of alcohol abuse an addictive drug," you reassured. "I mean, everything has a chance but..."

"No I know I just-" Toriel paused and took a deep breath. "When Papyrus texted us last night I nearly had a heart attack. And I don't even have a heart."

You chuckled. "How is Papyrus? He was the one who found me, right?"

"Yes he was. Sans forced him home to get some rest when he refused to leave last night. I promised him I would check in on you as soon as you let us in," she smiled gently before reaching into her purse. What she grabbed out of it was a small plastic container, with a slice of fresh pie inside. "I know you just ate but could you try to eat this?"

"Why?" you asked. It looked like normal pie after all. Cinnamon butterscotch perhaps?

"Well, remember that time Frisk fell out of that tree and they seemed just fine in a few minutes after they ate the pie, despite the fact that they had multiple bruises before that?" Toriel supplied.

You nodded. "And that had something to do with the pie?"

"Monsters have different magic types, which you already know, right?"

You just nodded, not wanting to interrupt.

"Well, through my fire magic I am able to in-grain magic into my food. Most monsters are able to do this. Actually, this technique was developed during the war by-" she paused, a clouded look overcoming her fair face. "-well actually, I forget their name. That's odd. No matter. This magic, while it won't be able to heal your arm, or your ribs, should help out with some of your surface wounds, and your soul."

"You know, I keep hearing about this soul thing but I haven't seen it yet," you pointed out, opening the container. Man, did that pie smell good. Taking the fork you used for breakfast, you took a small bite. Immediately you felt some of the tension train out of your muscles. "That's weird."

"Originally, magic food was used for soldiers. It healed their wounds quickly. Because monsters are more magical than physical, they are much more affected by it. It does help with aches and pains in humans though," Toriel explained, an old look in her eye.

Just as she said this, Frisk ran in holding a permanent marker. A pie slice, some scribbles, and a few more good wishes (and puns) later Toriel and Frisk were walking out the door. Just before they made it out though, Toriel remembered something and turned around.

"Oh, before I forget," Toriel snapped her fingers, reaching into her bag. After a few moments of digging she pulled out a phone. Or more specifically, your phone.

"Thank god," you breathed, reaching out and taking the poor thing. It had a small crack that ran across its body, but other than that it was untouched. Realizing how ridiculous you looked, so happy that your phone was in tact, you blushed.

Toriel noticed your discomfort and laughed. "Don't worry dear. While before the surface I would have thought your reaction odd, since I got a 'smart' phone of my own I have grown to appreciate it a lot."

Frisk giggled, nodding. "She almost cried when she dropped it in the pool!" they signed.

* * *

 

After that rather embarrassing confession, Toriel left, a giggling Frisk in toe. Before you could take a nap though, you got four new visitors.

"HUMAN FRIEND!" Papyrus shouted as he entered your room, making a bee-line to your bed. He almost scooped you up until he saw the needle sticking out of your good arm, and your other, casted arm.

Before he could rip the needle out in fear, you spoke up. "I'm fine Pap, that's for my pain, don't worry."

"Are you...sure friend?" Papyrus stuttered nervously.

"Yes, I'm sure," you nodded. After a moment of thought you grabbed the permanent marker Frisk

left in your room and held it out to him. "Wanna sign my cast? It's a... human tradition."

"What an odd tradition. Sure!" Papyrus exclaimed excitedly. Taking the pen, he immediately began doodling, so you turned your attention to your other guests.

Alphys was tearing up. "I'm so g-glad you're o-okay," she stuttered, slowly walking toward you. Once she got to your bedside, you gave her a gentle side hug.

"I am-okay that is. I'm okay, no need to worry," you muttered under your breath.

"No need to worry? You got jumped!" Undyne exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air in exasperation. While she ranted at you, Sans made his way over to one of the available chairs and sat down.

"you did get jumped kid. how ya' doin' by the way?" Sans questioned, looking at you from under his hood. Today he was wearing the Star Wars one he got immediately after he watched the movies. Which you introduced him to as a peace-offering by the way.

"Well, I've got some rib fractures and a broken arm," you shrugged. "I'm gonna live though."

"good to hear," Sans nodded, closing his eyes to take a quick nap presumably.

"Done!" Papyrus shouted, sitting up from his leaned over position. Looking down at your cast, you grinned at the little skeletons Papyrus doodled. Coming from any other person, this doodle probably would have looked like a threat.

"Thanks Papyrus!" you smiled before turning to Alphys. "Wanna add to this growing art museum?"

* * *

 

After about an hour of reassuring everyone you were find, Undyne almost breaking some very expensive hospital equipment, and Papyrus being hushed several times by nurses for being too loud, your four friends left you to get some rest.

Leaning your head back, you sighed in relief. Sure, you loved you friends but you really needed rest. Just as you were about to drift to sleep, someone softly knocked on your door. Groaning in frustration, you looked up, and were surprised to see a familiar cat monster.

"Felix?" you questioned. Felix's tail was twitching nervously as he walked in. He held some rather adorable get well soon balloons in his hand, probably from the gift shop.

"I'm-I'm not all that good at this sort of thing," he stuttered nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "But uh, I'm glad you're alright kid."

For some reason, when Felix used that nickname it was significantly less insulting than when Sans used it. "Thanks for the thought Felix."

"Heh, uh, I'm also here for another reason," he admitted. As he set the balloons weight down at the side of your bed, he sent a glance toward the door.

"And what would that be?" you asked. Before he could answer though, a very tired looking G walked through the door, holding a bouquet of flowers.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am no medical professional-obviously-so if you are I'm sorry.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed?
> 
> Constructive criticism appreciated, comments encouraged.  
> Send your questions, comments, concerns and gifts to mah tumblr bruh. I've also got a tip jar if you wanna, ya'know, help a broke writer out.
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)


	17. Explanations and Apologies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> G visits you and you get the explanation you've been waiting for.
> 
> Oh and Felix is an awkward potato.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)

**Explanations and Apologies**

"Um, I-I don't think-" you stuttered, fighting the urge to flinch away. G noticed your discomfort and shuffled uncomfortably in place, sending Felix a pleading glance.

"Just-just hear him out," Felix pled, shifting feet. He leaned toward you and set a pawed hand on yours. "He screwed up-he knows that. I can stay if you want or-"

"No I-I think I'm fine," you relented, attempting to shift yourself so that you were sitting up. Felix helped your shift when he realized you couldn't use your non dominant hand to support yourself. "Thank you."

"No problem," he replied. Standing straight, he nodded to G as he left, keeping the room door slightly open. "I'll uh, get a glass for the flowers."

Once Felix was gone, the tension in the room grew palpable. For a tense moment G and you just stared at each other until he finally moved a little closer. "Hope you're not allergic."

You chuckled humorlessly. "Not that I'm aware of. Thanks."

"It's the, uh," G cleared his throat. "It's the least I could do."

Silence fell on the room again as both of you couldn't find your words. You took this moment to look at G a bit. He looked pretty tired, and he wasn't even wearing his signature jacket. Then you realized, with a certain suddenness, why he looked so tired.

"Hey um, you don't have to blame yourself you know," you said quietly, avoiding looking at his face. "I'm not that bad off."

"You're in a hospital," G pointed out bluntly. "I shouldn't have said what I did."

"Neither of us should have," you pointed out. Sighing, you gestured to the chair for him to sit. Once he was by your bed in his chair, you continued. "I snapped at you, which was pretty immature of me. You didn't know."

"If I wasn't so god d*** prideful you probably wouldn't of-" he began, but you held up your good hand for him to stop.

"Would you blame me for running out like I did and stupidly forgetting my keys?" you questioned.

G's head snapped up from its slightly hung position. "No. Why would it be your fault?"

You gently took one of his hands in your good one and ran your thumb over his knuckles. Then you began tracing the hole in his palm. You wondered if it hurt at all. "If you don't blame me, don't blame yourself. If anything, it's the guys who did it."

"Were they arrested?" G questioned. You could feel his hand tense at the mention of the men that did this to you.

"I'm pretty sure. The police were here and said that they were," you explained, causing G to hum in recognition. The tension slowly leaked from his hand after you explained that, and a comfortable silence fell over the room. Quietly you traced his large hand with your own, and he relaxed in your presence. After a few minutes of this Felix reentered the room and sighed in relief that the tension was gone. A cat could only take so much.

"I got a glass," he announced, picking up the flowers and putting them in the plastic cup from the cafeteria. He put a little water in it to keep them alive. After setting them back down again on your bedside table, he stared at you two awkwardly. "So uh, can I go or..."

"Oh yeah! Don't let me keep you," you said quickly, detracting your hand from G's to wave off Felix. Turning to G again, you tilted your head. "Are you going too?"

For a moment G looked like he was going to leave, but with a sigh he shook his head. "I've gotta talk to ya about somethin'."

"I'll leave you to that, see you guys," Felix shouted after himself as he left the room. You almost laughed at his awkward exit, but instead turned to G.

"Something to talk about?" you questioned.

G took a deep breath before beginning. "Do you still want to know why I killed my... dad?"

"Do you want to tell me? I'm fine if you don't want to," you said, your smile a little strained. "I don't want to argue like the other day."

"I've psyched myself up to do this all day, so I should at least try," G sighed, stretching out in his seat. Once his legs were extended under your bed and his arms rested on his legs, he allowed himself to think about how he was going to explain this. "I don't know where to start."

"The beginning would be nice," you proposed as a small smile grew on your face.

He chuckled. "I don't remember much from the beginning. Skeletons, and most other monsters really, we...we don't reproduce like humans do. And even among skeleton's, I'm a...special case."

When you didn't interrupt, he continued. "I was a test subject. An experiment. Doctor Gaster didn't-well he didn't treat me like a child."

"What?!" you exclaimed, eyes widening in surprise.

"I don't know the exact details of the experiment, but I was supposed to help break the barrier somehow, or cross it I think? I wasn't able to do either though, so he mostly used me for tests. I wasn't-I wasn't given a name, so when I saw the name Sans on a piece of paper, I immediately took it because it sounded right," G explained. He allowed you to take one of his hands to trace comfortingly. "Skeletons aren't given names, we adopt them from our magic and our personality. Usually parents will find them out for their children when they're made but...obviously that didn't happen to me."

"Why would you have the same name as Sans?" you inquired.

"I dunno, I think it has something to do with my magic being so similar to his. My full name, as far as I can tell from my introspective searching, is Sans Serif Gaster. The only original part of that name I really own is Serif."

"Why don't you go by Serif then?" you questioned, to which G just shrugged.

"G's just easier I guess, and shorter," G replied. "The test subject number I was given had a G in it too, so it was easier to remember. I didn't figure out my full name for awhile."

"So if you were a test subject, how did you get the chance to kill your...creator?" you asked, searching G's face to see if you were pushing too much.

"One day, Doctor Gaster forgot to lock the door. When I was running away from the lab, as I was crossing over the Core, he found me. I-I had too," G defended shakily.

When you saw how badly his hands were shaking, you grabbed his other one as well and set them in your lap. "I-I understand."

G avoided eye contact but allowed his hands to be taken. "I'd understand if you didn't want to continue...whatever this is. I'm a pretty messed up person. But if ya wanna continue giving me a chance I would....I would appreciate it."

"Hey I-I don't blame you for how you were raised," you spoke up, making G look up from his slumped over position. "But I-I need a little longer to think about your actions. I'm in no place to judge but..."

G smiled easily, "I get it, I, uh, I'll letcha think about it."

"I'm really sorry about what happened to you," you whispered, holding his hands a bit tighter in your own before letting go.

"It wasn't your fault, actually, I don't even think you were born yet," G chuckled, standing from the chair. "I'll let you get some rest. You gonna be alright?"

"I should be asking you that after that explanation," you laughed awkwardly. "And yeah, I'll be fine. Sure you don't want to stay?"

"Pretty sure your nurse will get me in trouble for disturbing the patent," G said jokingly, winking at you as he leaned against the wall next to the door. After tipping his nonexistent hat, he made to leave, but paused when he heard you speak.

"Thanks for coming in. I hope you have a good rest of the day," you called after him, waving your casted arm awkwardly. "And I expect a signature next time you come in."

"Will do."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually p satisfied with this.
> 
> Constructive criticism appreciated, comments encouraged.  
> Send your questions, comments, concerns and gifts to mah tumblr bruh. I've also got a tip jar if you wanna, ya'know, help a broke writer out.
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)


	18. Lollipops and Playful Glares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You finally get out of that hospital and get a unexpected visitor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)

"Thanks for doing this Al, it's kind of humiliating," you chuckled, leaning back in your hospital provided wheelchair. After a few days of recovery and monitoring in the hospital, the doctors finally said you were well enough to leave. You immediately called Alphys because you didn't mind being embarrassingly crippled in front of her. She also had a key to your house, so she was able to bring you fresh clothes.

"D-don't worry about it," Alphys stuttered, smiling down at you from behind. The wheelchair was mandatory the nurse told you, but that didn't mean it was comfortable. The hard leather seat clearly wasn't meant to be sat in for long periods of time. "You feeling alright?"

You shifted uncomfortably in your chair and gave Alphys a thumbs up. "They've got me managing my pain with the pills now. I shouldn't have to be on them for very long."

"As long as you're not hurting," Alphys said, her grip tightening on the handles of the wheelchair as she eased over the bump into the parking lot. Nurse Judy followed behind you to take the chair once you were safe inside the car.

Alphys managed to nab a spot in the front of the hospital apparently, because it didn't take very long to get to her cute yellow beetle. She unlocked the car and before she could protest, you jumped out of your chair and into the passenger seat. "Ha."

Judy chuckled at your antics and took the chair from Alphys. "Now don't exert yourself too much hun. You remembered your prescription right?"

"Got it in my bag," you replied, patting the shoulder bag Alphys brought your stuff in. Your soiled clothes from the attack were also in there. "Thank you for all your help."

Judy laughed. "No need to thank me for being kind hun, it's common decency. Be sure to come back in if you start hurting real bad again, okay?"

"Okay mom," you drawled sarcastically, sending her a grin.

"We ready to go?" Alphys questioned, starting up the car. Vocaloid music immediately flooded the vehicle, making Alphys jump and yourself laugh. Said lizard rushed to turn it off, or at least down, but only succeeded in turning it up in her haste.

Laughing even more at your friend's distress, you turned to Judy and shouted one last goodbye at her retreating form before turning around. "Need some help?"

"That was so embarrassing," Alphys whimpered, face palming. Her cheeks were turning a bright pinkish yellow and her tail thumped on her seat anxiously. You chuckled at her response as you turned down the music for her.

"She won't hold it against you," you responded, grinning at your flushed friend. "I'm sorry to rush, but can we head home? I'd love to take a shower."

"O-Oh! Yeah, sorry," Alphys said, smiling hesitantly as she put the car in reverse and backed up out of the parking space. Meanwhile, you struggled to get comfortable with your casted arm, which was proving to be a challenge. The cast seemed to make your arm just a bit too big for the armrest. Great.

* * *

 

When the next week rolled around you felt better than you ever felt in the hospital. The rest of the work week you spent getting used to using your arm. It wasn't too bad you supposed, just very awkward and inconvenient at times. That weekend you spent with Papyrus, finally submitting to a Mettaton movie marathon. Surprisingly, it wasn't that bad. In fact the movies were pretty decent, in a so-bad-they're-good way.

You were so refreshed in fact, that when Monday of the next work week came, you made your way to your shop as usual. The walk felt wonderful on your underused legs, and the fresh air was a stark contrast to the stuffy hospital. Wrapped up in your own world, you didn't notice the person standing in front of your shop door until you bumped into them.

"Oh I'm so sorry!" you apologised immediately. Looking up, your eyes widened when you saw the one person you didn't think  you'd see so early in the morning. "G?"

"Yes?" he drawled, looking down at you with a grin.

"Jerk!" you shouted playfully, hitting him with your good arm. When you hit it though, it certainly did not feel like bone. In fact, it almost felt... human? Looking up at him in confusion, you quirked an eyebrow. In response he just shrugged and smirked.

"Can I come in?" he questioned, gesturing to the shop. You nodded mutely, getting out your keys and opening the door. G followed you inside as you took a deep breath. Ah, that old book smell never got old.

"So what are you doing here so early?" you asked, setting down your bag. Getting a rag out of the supply cabinet, you started wiping down surfaces. Dust seemed to invade in your absence. "Not that I mind, but you have work don't you?"

"About that," G started, taking a seat in your comfortable wheeled chair behind the desk. You sent him a playful glare when you noticed. He just sent a particularly snarky grin your way before continuing. "I may or may not be out of a job."

You paused in your ministrations and turned around. "What?"

"I quit," he replied, leaning back in his chair. When you sent him a suspicious look though he folded. "Okay okay, I was fired."

"What did you do?" you questioned, continuing to dust. After wiping a particularly dirty bookshelf, you sneezed loudly. A chuckle almost forced its way out of your lips when you heard G jump behind you in surprise at the loud noise, but you suppressed it.

"Well I was being my normal wonderful self," G explained, shuffling through your drawers until he found your candy stash. After popping a sucker in his mouth he continued. "And the boss just out of the blue fired me. Why do you assume I did something?"

"Because you must have done something bad," you sighed, putting back your duster and grabbing your broom. How did the floor get dirty if no one was here? "Contrary to common belief, you are not a ray of sunshine."

"Harsh," G joked, putting a hand where his heart would be. "Okay, yeah sure I did something. But it honestly wasn't that big of a deal."

"Sure," you responded, not believing one word coming out of his mouth. "And if you're going to steal my candy, at least toss me one."

"Fine," G grunted, popping the sucker out of his mouth before throwing a lollipop in your general direction. Not having both arms, you of course couldn't catch it and it hit the wall with a thud.

"Seriously?" you questioned out loud. Once you got it off the floor, you gestured for him to continue.

"I broke a clients car," G admitted with a sigh, twirling the stick of the candy in his hand. He took you not responding as an okay to continue. "Why do you think I wasn't in my work shirt when I came and visited you in the hospital?"

You stopped on your way to the trash and turned around slowly. G wouldn't meet your eyes. "Were you..."

"Yeah, I was worried 'bout you. I mean, you got jumped!" G exclaimed, his eyes narrowing at the candy in his hands. "And I know you said not to blame myself but this was before that. Plus I had no idea if you were okay or not."

Silently, you dumped out the trash and walked over to your friend. After learning the broom against the wall and setting down the unopened candy, you crouched over to give him a hug. His fuzzy jacket lining made a great place to rest your head as you squeezed him gently. For a moment he didn't seem to know how to respond, but finally he wrapped his arms around you and squeezed back.

Once you felt like the hug had extended maybe a little too long, you let go and leaned back, sending him a soft smile. "I'm sorry."

"Ha, wasn't your fault," G responded, giving you a wink and popping the pop back into his mouth. Despite his easy gestures though, his eyes were tired. "Anyways, the reason I came over here was because I was wondering if you had a position available. That is, if you want me here."

It was then that you remembered your previous conversation with the skeleton. Did you want him here? As a familiar voice echoed through your head, you nodded.

"Yeah I uh, have a position open."

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before this chapter I wasn't sure if I liked G's character. Now I love it.
> 
> Constructive criticism appreciated, comments encouraged.  
> Send your questions, comments, concerns and gifts to mah tumblr bruh. I've also got a tip jar if you wanna, ya'know, help a broke writer out.
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)


	19. Skarms and Skies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You have a nice dinner with friends. Sort of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)

"Really G, I've got it!" you insisted, awkwardly holding the stack of books in your arms. It was only the third day G had been working with you and already he was causing problems. Or rather, your casted arm was causing problems and G was trying to help with them.

"Doesn't look like it, you dropped one already," G pointed out, picking up a fallen picture book for the children's section. You had gotten a new shipment this morning and were attempting to put everything away in its place. "Just let me help."

"Since when did you want to help with anything?" you scoffed, attempting to snatch the fallen book out if his hands. This motion though just threw you off-balance, making the other books tumble out of your hands. You almost hit the ground with them, but luckily G was able to catch you around the waist just in time. You winced from the unexpected pain. "Ouch, ribs remember?"

"I dunno, my arm seems a lot more comfortable than the floor," G said, a small smirk growing on his face. "And maybe I just wanna keep you here hmm? The doc did tell you to rest right?"

You pouted but conceded. "Fine, put me down and I'll man the cash register. Like you were supposed to be doing."

"Fire me," G jabbed, gently adjusting you so you were able to stand without any bodily harm. After picking up the books that had fallen and moving to a shelf he paused. "On second thought don't. I need the job and you need the help. Win win."

"Fine," you groaned, over exaggerating your unhappiness. "If anything was stolen while you were gone though it's coming out of your salary."

You took the grunt that came from G as an answer. Turning around, you made your way back to the register and sat behind it. Admittedly, the store had become a lot less lonely since G had started working for you. Usually on slow days you would be stuck for hours at a time by yourself. But now you had a constant companion. A constant companion that raided your candy stash.

"G did you-" you began, but before you could finish a familiar face entered your humble shop. "Alphys! Hey!"

"Oh hi!" Alphys exclaimed, her face lighting up. "When I saw that you were open I was surprised. I thought you were going to take another week!"

"In all honesty I was but I hired another hand," you grinned. That grin turned into a shrill squeak though when a skeletal hand came flying out of nowhere and landed on your desk.

"I didn't know you hired just my hand. I'll be going then," G joked, setting the books down on the checkout desk.

"Oh y-your G ri-right?" Alphys stuttered, a small blush lighting up her face. "H-hi I'm Alphys. ____'s friend."

"Is being their friend the only thing you do, or do you do anything else?" G questioned with a smirk. He took his arm back from the table and proceeded to lean against the desk while he reattached it. The whole process was rather strange to watch as the skeletal forearm was engulfed in a yellow light. That light then joined the limb to the rest of the arm in a slightly disturbing light show.

"Okay first," you held up one finger, "that was disturbing, please don't do that again in front of me. Second," you held up another finger, "don't be rude. Alphys is actually a very intelligent scientist."

After rolling the joints in his reattached arm he snapped his fingers. "Alphys. As in Doctor Alphys. You were the royal scientist right?"

"Y-yes I was," Alphys confirmed. When she didn't make any move to come into the shop further you tugged her over to you and gave her a side hug.

"Hey its fine, he's just a big jerky nerd. So whatcha come in for?" you asked, nudging G back to work.

"Um actually I-I just wanted to say hi. Sorry if I was a bother," Alphys mumbled, looking at her feet. The pastel dress she was wearing swayed a bit with her actions, and her tail nervously wiggled.

"No of course not! It's always nice to see you Al!" you exclaimed, giving her another hug. After letting the poor blushing mess go you followed her to the door and thanked her again for visiting. Having people concerned about you never got old.

"How sweet," G mocked from behind. A flash of irritation shot through you and a flying lollipop shut him right up.

* * *

 

It was a week later that you broke your streak of never closing the book shop before five a second time. The first being when you were in the hospital. Toriel invited you to a dinner with her and the rest of your monster friends, a sort of 'welcome home dinner' she told you. While you were a bit embarrassed, she was making pie and who were you to refuse free food and good company?

You of course invited G, but he refused. Apparently he was going to prank Felix or something? You tried not to listen too hard so as to not incriminate yourself.

Toriel's house was located on the outer edge of the city, where the air pollution of the city thinned out and you could actually see the stars at night. The home itself was a cute, two-story house with a white picket fence and a small jungle gym in the back. She had been using it as an informal daycare until she could finally get permission to build a school. Monster parents, who usually had to work long hours to afford a living space, greatly appreciated the former queens generosity.

After parking behind Papyrus's red 'dream' car you made your way to the front door. You could already hear the loud skeleton from outside the home. Before you even got the chance to knock, the door was thrown open and a small person almost sent you tumbling down the front steps.

"Whoa there bud, still healing remember?" you grimaced. Frisk managed to hit your ribs in just the right way to send a bolt of pain down your spine.

Frisk jumped back as if shocked and looked apologetically up at you. You ruffled their messy brown hair with a laugh. "I'm fine Frisky bits. Can I come in?"

Quickly you were led inside, pulled by the hyperactive child. You both passed the stairwell and the kitchen on your way to the large family room. While a large TV sat above the mantel, most of the wall was covered in pictures of Frisk. Sure, there was the occasional one with a friend or two in it (including you), but most of them just contained the human child being the adorkable kid they were. Toriel was such a mom.

"Human!" Papyrus shouted when he gained sight of you. Everyone was gathered around the coffee table, seemingly playing an intense game of Uno. "You must join us, this game is quite riveting!"

"Wow was I late or something?" you joked, setting down your bag on the couch before heading over to look at the game. "Sure I'll play. Deal me in."

* * *

 

After losing one too many times at Uno to the Great Papyrus (he was brutal with those +2 cards), you all convened around the dinner table for some food. It was delicious, as usual, though you suspected Toriel added a bit of magic because you felt not as sore afterwards. During dinner you finally got the chance to tell your friends of your employee. When you mentioned G though, several odd things happened. First, Alphys, Papyrus and Frisk sent you very suspicious glances that did not go unnoticed by you. Those were scheming faces if you had ever seen one. Toriel was just glad you got some help, while Undyne called you a wuss for needing it. Sans though gave you an unreadable glance. Then again you had gone against his advice and were coercing with someone he viewed as the enemy. Did he know why G murdered his Dad?

Regardless, after dinner Toriel laid out some blankets and you all sat under the stars for a bit. It seemed as if the monsters could never get enough of the sky. Papyrus once told you that every time he saw the sky it was a reminder he wasn't underground anymore, while Toriel told you it was like seeing an old friend. Either way, you would never get sick of seeing their amazed expressions when they took the time to just look. Time of day didn't matter, the sheer vastness of the uncovered sky always entranced them.

After the initial awe wore off, Alphys and Papyrus scooted closer to you.

Papyrus was the first to speak up in a strained whisper. "Friend it has come to our attention that you may be giving lots of attention to another and we would like to suggest that you-"

"You should ask out G!" Alphys squealed quietly, unable to contain her excitement.

"Alphys, I though we agreed-" Papyrus began, but was cut off again.

"Wait, ask him out? Why would I do that?" you questioned, taken aback by the sudden topic. You were expecting a quiet evening, not this.

"Well its obvious that you like him! I can practically feel your soul dancing when you're around him!" Alphys insisted. You placed a hand lightly on your chest, the very place you had felt a pull when you first met G and had felt ever since.

"And I can tell you're much happier friend!" Papyrus exclaimed, clasping one of your (comparatively) small hands in his gloved ones. "Its nice to see you like this."

"I was already happy and-and," you struggled to get your words together. "And even if I did like him, I'm too damaged to be able to give to a relationship like that. Do I really want to risk it?"

Alphys nabbed your other hand, the one connected to the casted arm. "I think you should give it a shot. He's obviously attracted to you too. Why not risk it?"

"And who knows," Papyrus chipped in, head tilted back to view the starry sky above him. "Perhaps he can be your sky."

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Definitely will be edited later to expand on certain points but for now it's okay. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Constructive criticism appreciated, comments encouraged.  
> Send your questions, comments, concerns and gifts to mah tumblr bruh. I've also got a tip jar if you wanna, ya'know, help a broke writer out.
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)


	20. History and New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and G have a talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)

"Why did you call me here?" G questioned, shutting your door behind him. Right after work you caught him before he escaped to his man cave, telling him that you had something to talk about. You tried to keep it vague partly because you didn't want to discuss the subject in public, and partly because you were afraid he would run for the hills.

"Uh before we start, coffee? Tea?" you offered. As you spoke you lead him to your kitchen. After starting up the coffee machine with still no response you turned to him and quirked a brow.

"Usually I'd say tea because of how late it is but I have a feeling I'm going to need some coffee," G answered, leaning against the counter. "You know with the way you're phrasing it, it sounds like you want to jump my bones."

Silence filled the room when you didn't answer, making G's smirk fall. "Eh I was just kidding you know, right?"

"Yeah I-" your speech faltered. "I'm just prepping myself for this conversation."

G didn't make a move to respond, so the two of you listened to the coffee maker in relative silence. When the black substance was done G didn't even make a move for the creamer and just poured himself a cup of straight, black coffee. The skeleton mug you picked out for him provided no humor. After filling a glass of the substance yourself, and making it the way you usually did, you led your skeletal friend to the couch.

"Go ahead and take a seat. I'll be right back," you said as a contemplative expression grew on your face. Setting down your coffee cup on the small table, you moved to the bookshelf. While not a beautiful piece, the wooden shelves did their job as they held your books safely. You grabbed the stool from beside the couch to help you reach the top shelf, and from there you grabbed a worn leather photo album.

"So uh, you gonna tell me all about all your previous murder victims before you kill me?" G joked, taking a long swig of his drink. "Actually killing me wouldn't make all that much of an impact if I really think about it. I work for you, spend most of my time with you, and only have one other friend beside you. Two if you count Petro..."

"No I'm not going to-no," you sighed. "I'm assuming Sans told you a bit about my...history. What exactly do you know?"

"Nuthin' much, he was too busy threatening me," G shrugged. "Just told me that you had a rough past."

"He threatened you?" you exclaimed. "You're okay right?"

"Fine fine," G waved you off as he took another drink from his cup. "Continue."

"Um okay. So I suppose I should start at the beginning. And I promise I have a reason for telling you this stuff. Just-just wait until the end okay?" you pleaded, taking one last drink of your coffee before setting it down again. As you did G nodded, zipping his mouth. "So, I had a mom and dad, a long time back. They were actually really good parents for the first few years of my life. I remember carefree days at the park..." you trailed off, opening the worn photo album. You pointed to a few pictures with a toddler and two happy parents. "That's me and them right there."

G nodded as he set down his cup. Your friend then scooted a bit closer so that half of the book was on his lap as well. When he rested his feet on your table you didn't bother to correct him, nor did you tell him to move away when he put an arm on the back of the couch. Behind you.

"When I was about four though, dad got a new job. At first it didn't affect us much but then..." you paused to take a deep breath. "Then it started to take up more and more of his time. Mom didn't like that, so she spent more and more time with her friends. Which left me..."

"Alone," G guessed. His face was blank but you could see that he was focused on what you were saying.

You chuckled weakly, shaking your head. "No, not alone. My grandma took me in. I spent most of my time with her, at her house. She raised me with three basic teachings," you held your hand, "one, never judge a book by its cover. Two, always strive to be kind, no matter what. And three, persevere despite the circumstances. When she died the second and the third ones were the first to go."

As you flipped through the photo album, G noticed that as you grew older the only other person pictured in the photos was an older woman. Her face, while wrinkled and aged, shown of wisdom and kindness. "When she died, I-I lost myself," you explained, your voice shaking nearly as bad as your hands. "My family disowned me finally because she left me with her inheritance, and I was alone. I turned to drinking."

You flipped to the end of the book and picked up a few pictures stored back there. "It was a really dark time in my life. I met a guy, Tony. He-he supported my drinking in exchange for dating him and doing...things." You stopped when you felt G stiffen beside you. After a few deep breaths you continued. "It was a really unhealthy relationship. Despite that though I stayed in it until-"

When you froze for a bit too long, G let his arm fall around you. It was a comforting presence. Your knees were pressed together in defense though. It was hard to get the words out. "Something happened. Something bad and it snapped me out of it. I realized what exactly this life was doing to me so I cut ties and left. I moved to the city, joined AA, and stopped drinking all together."

"After that I met Alphys and then the rest of the gang and now...I'm here. I guess. Still recovering but I've taken up those three principles again." With a sigh you closed the photo album and set it on the coffee table. After taking one long drink from your cup you set it with the book and turned to your friend. "So...?"

"So what?" G questioned, quirking his head.

"This is your last chance to run to the hills," you hinted, only half-joking.

G scoffed, waving his hand. "I literally killed a dude and you didn't run. Do you really think I'm going to run because you had an alcohol problem?"

Laughing, you relaxed, only one last thing to do. "Oh good haha. A bit worried there. So the reason I told you all this is because I...I'd like to be... more than friends."

G froze, his whole upper body stiffening. For that scary moment you thought he was going to reject you, run away and never come back. "...you do?"

"Um yeah..." you trialed off, hugging yourself. "Uh I mean you don't have to feel pressured to. Sorry if you don't feel the same way."

"No! No. I mean," G turned to you and looked you straight in the eye. He looked the more serious than you had ever seen him. "You want to date me. Despite everything I've told you about myself?"

"Only if you're willing to have me," you replied confidently, returning his stare.

After a few moments of silent staring, he responded. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ARCH ONE IS FINISHED! Whoot whoot! 
> 
> Constructive criticism appreciated, comments encouraged.  
> Send your questions, comments, concerns and gifts to mah tumblr bruh. I've also got a tip jar if you wanna, ya'know, help a broke writer out.
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)


	21. Nicknames and Name Calling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Couples have pet names... right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)

_ “There’s no hope Arvio” Annabelle asserted, wrapping her arms around herself. “They're dead.” _

_ “No they can't be they-” Arvio paused, his heart sinking into his chest as he stared at the blazing fire before him. “They can't be.” _

_ “Give it up Arvio!” The young woman shouted, the despair in her voice piercing the silent wood. “They're an Eikverr, you know how sensitive they are to fire!” _

_ “Arne!” Arvio called, raising his bronze arm to the sky for the falcon to land on. “Go, find Asta! Bring the child of wood to us!” _

_ “We were such fools to think we could keep them safe,” Annabelle sobbed, her pale locks falling into her arms. _

You snapped the book shut, deciding to read the rest later because you could not handle the angst right now. Crying in the middle of G's living room was not something on your to-do list. Shifting, you moved your legs off G, not that he seemed to notice. He was too focused on whatever he was looking at on his phone.

"When's your birthday?" you questioned spontaneously, drawing a look from your skeletal boyfriend. After the quick glance though he looked back down at his phone to scroll again.

"Why does it matter?" he shot back. You shrugged your shoulders loosely before setting down your book on the coffee table and stretching your arms.

"I dunno. It's good to know I guess," you answered. "So when is it?"

"I dunno," G replied, still not looking up from his phone. "I was grown in a tube or whatever. I wasn't actually born."

You thought for a moment before sliding closer to him on the couch so that your thighs (not that he had any) were touching. G quickly switched off his phone and stuck it in his pocket before looking down at you. You were tempted to ask about it but decided against it. "Born is a subjective term. I mean I was a c-section baby so I wasn't born in a traditional sense either. I guess it just means when you...emerged from whatever you grew in."

G chuckled under his breath, something about a tumor, before replying. "Uh well I've never actually celebrated a birthday before, but I guess I was born sometime in the...fall? I remember one of the doctors kids having to go to school, and school starts in the fall right?"

"It does on the surface, but I don't know about the Underground. You guys didn’t even have seasons," you pointed out. "But I guess we can say that. So which month do you like more, October or November?"

G didn't give a second thought to his answer. "October. Scaring teenagers on Halloween is great."

"Remind me to join you this year," you laughed, nudging him a bit before thinking. "Hm well Halloween is on the 31st so I guess the...15th would be good?"

"You're just comin' up with random dates," G pointed out. "Isn't the day important?"

You shook your head lightly. "Not really. People celebrate their birthdays on different days if it collides with their work schedules or holidays sometimes. Plus you're a special case."

A small smirk grew on G's face as he leaned back a little. "Special case huh? Is that an insult or compliment?"

"Take it as you will," you replied stoically, but couldn't help the grin that grew on your face at his joking around. "So yeah, October 15th. Good to keep in mind."

"I guess."

After this brief conversation the two of you fell into silence again.

_ Sensing his companions grief, Seneca put one of his large feathery wings over the girl, drawing her close. "Would you like me to search for the child?" _

_ "If you would. Please stay safe my dear friend. I do not want to lose you again," Annabelle pleaded, resting her forehead on the Wyvern's own. _

_ "It was me who lost you dear heart," Seneca reminded her, butting his own head against hers one last time before taking to the skies. His great, blue form disappeared quickly in the smoke. _

_ After her friends form was lost from sight, Annabelle placed a hand on her heart, still feeling his presence . Taking a deep breath for courage, she stood shakily and placed an arm on Arvio's. "We have to get away from the smoke. It’s no use if we are both dead." _

"So what would you like for your birthday?" you thought of suddenly, lifting your head from your book. While you were reading you naturally began to lean against G from your place on the couch. G had his arm around the back of the seat while he went back to his phone.

"Whats with the questions?" G asked, turning off his phone again. Regardless though, he answered the question. "I dunno I don’t really do much besides work and play guitar."

"You can’t think of anything?" you pushed a little harder.

"Well..." G trailed off, leaning against the side of the couch a little more. "I guess I did some wood work underground. I used to fix broken furniture for a living."

You grinned impishly. "Wow you work on cars, you cook, you play guitar and you do wood work. What can’t you do?"

"Put together a coherent story," G replied bluntly. "Draw. Science of any kind. Anything other than basic math."

Laughing you set a hand on his shoulder. "I certainly can understand that. So wood work huh? I can work with that."

"Heh good. And I'm assuming you want something book related?" G guessed, a smirk on his face.

"You've got me pinned," you chuckled, raising your arms in the air in mock surrender. While doing this though you remembered something you had wanted to bring up for a while. "So uh, we're a couple now right?"

G paused in his laughing, going quiet. "I assumed. Didn't we already go over this?"

"Well yeah but..." you trailed off. "Don't couples usually have...pet names?"

"You want to get a pet?" G deadpanned. "Is that a human tradition? My apartment doesn’t allow animals."

You stared at the dead serious skeleton for half a second before snorting. "Oh my god. No I didn't mean that sort of pet name. I mean like a special name you call your datemate. Like 'honey' or 'dear'."

"Isn't that kind of cheesy?" G asked, leaning forward to grab the water he had sitting on the table. "And don't those just happen by chance? Usually people don’t discuss them I don’t think."

"I guess..." you paused, the disappointment clear in your tone. After a moment of an overly exaggerated pout though, you glanced up at him through your lashes and grinned. "Sugar skull."

"What did you just call me?" G exclaimed, looking mildly offended.

"Aw do you not like that one? I thought you said you didn't want to discuss nicknames..." you paused for dramatic effect. "...skully."

G deadpanned for a second before grinning himself. "Whatever you say...sweetcheeks."

Your cheeks burned in embarrassment before you slapped his shoulder lightly. "Oh my god! That is so...ugh! You jerk!"

Just as G was about to speak again, probably to say another embarrassing thing, your phone buzzed. Holding up a finger, you quickly took it out and clicked it on.

 

**Goat Mom**

_ >Hello dear I was just checking to see if you were still hosting this week’s game night? - Sincerely, Toriel _

 

Muttering something incoherent under your breath you replied, ignoring the curious G looking over your shoulder.

 

**(_____)**

_ >Uh yeah I will be. Usual day. Thanks for the reminder. _

 

**Goat Mom**

_ >No problem dear. - Sincerely, Toriel _

 

"Game night?" G questioned. "What’s that?"

You sighed as you stuck your phone back in your pocket and slouched into the couch. "Something my friends do every other week. Basically someone hosts a night for everyone to get together, play games, and eat dinner. It’s real fun but..."

"It’s your turn," G finished for you. "What’s so bad about that?"

"Nothing really it’s just..." you let your head fall into your hands that were propped up on your legs. "I feel bad for always ordering take out! And even if I don't do that I end up asking Toriel for help."

G stared at you inquisitively for a moment before replying slowly. "So why don’t you cook?"

"Don’t be patronising," you grunted, dragging your hands down your face slowly.

"I'm not," G defended . "But isn't that the obvious solution?"

"Have you forgotten already? I know jack about cooking," you sighed dramatically, placing a hand on your forehead and leaning back into the couch again.

"Well..." G began. "I know how to cook."

You froze and after a moment of hesitation looked up at G. "You'd be willing to help me?"

G snorted (somehow without a nose), patting your shoulder. "Duh. You saved my a** by giving me that job. It's only fair I save yours."

"Oh my god thank you!" you exclaimed, wrapping your arms tightly around G, squeezing the surprisingly soft skeleton. "You have no idea how relieved that makes me."

"I feel like I do... sweetcheeks."

"Jerk!"

 

* * *

 

 

"So what are we making again?" you questioned, looking at the list of ingredients G gave you.

"Two lasagna, some iced tea and a tiramisu cake," G recited back to you for the fifth time. "I'd think you'd get it by now sweets."

"Do we really need to make two lasagnas though?" you began, putting a bag of tomatoes into your cart. "Seems like too much food."

"Your friend is vegetarian , so yeah," G replied bluntly. "It’s better to have all your bases covered."

You sighed dramatically but nodded nonetheless. "Thanks a lot for this G."

"No problem sweets."

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M BACK BABY!
> 
> Oh wow it's been awhile! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!!! 
> 
> Constructive criticism appreciated, comments encouraged.  
> Send your questions, comments, concerns and gifts to mah tumblr bruh. I've also got a tip jar if you wanna, ya'know, help a broke writer out.
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)

**Author's Note:**

> Constructive criticism appreciated, comments encouraged.  
> Send your questions, comments, concerns and gifts to mah tumblr bruh. I've also got a tip jar if you wanna, ya'know, help a broke writer out.
> 
> [Tumblr](http://doctorz.tumblr.com/) \- [Donate](https://ko-fi.com/A0057H4)
> 
>  
> 
> Note: The creator of the original Gaster!Sans is http://borurou.tumblr.com/. I did take some liberty with his personality however.


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